The role of the Bailiff, who for centuries has acted as both the Island’s chief judge and President of the States, has been under the spotlight for a number of years and debated numerous times in the Assembly.
Proposals have been tabled by Chief Minister Ian Gorst to remove the Bailiff from the States Chamber and appoint an independent speaker at the first meeting of the new Assembly following the next general election in May 2018.
However, the PPC – which would be tasked with implementing the changes should they be approved by Members – have said that the timescale in Senator Gorst’s proposals is ‘unachievable’.
Instead the committee, which is responsible for changes to the composition of the States, want to push the proposed changes back until the first meeting of 2019 to allow the position of speaker to be scrutinised if the Corporate Services Scrutiny Panel opt to do so.
In an amendment to the Chief Minister’s proposition, the committee said: ‘In order to bring in a new system by early June, the Assembly would need to pass the draft States of Jersey (Amendment) Law in February to provide sufficient time for consideration by the Privy Council.
‘On this timetable there would be no opportunity for scrutiny, and if the relevant Scrutiny panel – Corporate Services – did decide to exercise their right, under Standing Orders, to call the legislation in for scrutiny, the timetable in the proposition would be unachievable. It is, in our view, undesirable for Scrutiny to be put in a position where they cannot scrutinise legislation.’
The States had been due to debate the dual role of the Bailiff earlier this year, but a proposition from Deputy Montfort Tadier was withdrawn to allow Chief Minister Ian Gorst to bring his own proposals for removing the Bailiff from the States Chamber.
The committee added that a number of issues could be thrown up, including a clause which would allow a non-elected person to take on the role and that the current timescale would give the Assembly ‘one chance to agree all of these matters’.
The proposition is due to be debated by the States Assembly on 14 November.
