Scrutiny concerned about process for appointments to the Jersey Appointments Commission
18 October 2021
The Corporate Services Scrutiny Panel (the Panel) has today sent a letter to the Chief Minister seeking clarity on the presentation of R.158/2021 – Jersey Appointments Commission: Commissioner Appointments.
The Panel is concerned that the Ministerial Decision (MD-C-2021-0084) which was published on 30th September 2021, occurred seven days after the terms of office of the Jersey Appointments Commission's Chair and one of its Commissioners expired, and seventeen days after the term of office for a newly appointed Commissioner would have begun.
Article 2 of the States of Jersey (Appointment Procedures) (Jersey) Law 2018 outlines that the Minister or body proposing an appointment or extension to an office must be made "at least 2 weeks before making or approving the appointment or making the extension" and to present this notice to the States within the presented timeframe.
The Panel is also disappointed that, at the time of the publication of this press release, the Chief Minister has not provided a response to the Panel's letter submitted to him on the 4th October 2021. The Panel had requested a reply by the 6th October 2021. The letter requested documentation and information surrounding the resignation of a Commissioner before the end of the agreed term, which had been outlined in R.158/2021.
Chair of the Panel, Senator Kristina Moore, said: "We look forward to the Chief Minister providing a clear understanding on the timescales used for this decision, and hope that this matter can be resolved quickly and efficiently. The Panel intends to seek a meeting with the Chair of the Jersey Appointments Commission to discuss in detail the work programme in place until the expiration of her term of office in September 2022."
