Former Mont Orgueil Castle falconer is elected as a Jurat

Michael Entwistle Picture: Jersey Heritage. (35143920)

THE former falcon handler at Mont Orgueil Castle is the Island’s newest Jurat.

Michael Entwistle – also a retired civil servant – received 54 of the 102 votes cast by the electoral college yesterday, and was praised for his ‘eagle eye for detail’.

His election follows the retirement of Jurat Collette Crill, who was elected in 2011following a ten-year period as a member of the Youth Court Panel and an eight-year spell as a member of Amnesty International UK’s national board.

Mr Entwistle was the former handler for Sovereign, the resident falcon at Mont Orgueil Castle.

Advocate Mark Boothman, who proposed Mr Entwistle for the role, said in his speech: ‘As an experienced falconer, he has an eagle eye for detail and is a man of many talons.’

The other two nominees for the position were Advocate Alison Brown and Michael Berry, a chief operating officer at intellectual-property firm Spoor & Fisher.

Mr Entwistle began his career working in the NHS and the Health Department, before moving on to health service management, chairing the Health and Social Services Ethics Committee and serving as a member of Jersey Hospice’s ethics committee.

He took on an international-relations role in the Chief Minister’s Department in 2003. In this role, he negotiated the gift to the Island by the Crown of the seabed and foreshore surrounding Jersey – the largest land transaction in the Island’s history.

Outside of his professional career, he has chaired Jersey’s Duke of Edinburgh Award committee, undertaken a part-time teaching role at Highland’s College and is the honorary chair of the Jersey Referendum Commission.

Before beginning the election, the Bailiff, Sir Timothy Le Cocq, was obliged to inform the college of the criminal records of the nominees.

The only offence on record was Mr Entwistle’s ‘extremely aged’ conviction of speeding in a 30mph zone in 1975. Jurats are now able to apply to serve for a minimum six-year period if they wish. Previously, they served until the age of 72. The updated policy was designed to attract a more diverse range of candidates to the role.

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