Draft Elections (Senators) (Jersey) Amendment Law 202- (P.56/2025): amendment (P.56/2025 Amd.) – comments
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STATES OF JERSEY
DRAFT ELECTIONS (SENATORS) (JERSEY) AMENDMENT LAW 202- (P.56/2025): AMENDMENT (P.56/2025 AMD.) – COMMENTS
Presented to the States on 4th September 2025 by the Privileges and Procedures Committee
STATES GREFFE
2025 P.56 Amd. Com.
COMMENTS
This amendment seeks to reduce any negative impact on voter equality and equity from the proposed redivision of representation by Deputies across constituencies, as a consequence of the Assembly's decision to reinstate Senators in accordance with P.2/2025. It proposes a reduction in the proposed number of Senators from 9 to 7 and thereby retains 2 Members in two St. Helier constituencies, reducing the variances considerably.
PPC is mindful of the extensive amount of work undertaken over the years by its predecessors to achieve a greater balance across the Island in relation to voter equality and equity. The Venice Commission recommends that any variance in over- or under- representation should be no more than 15% either way. The system implemented in 2022 provided variances which were as close to the Venice ideal as possible without moving to a single type of elected representative. The Assembly's implementation of the decision made in accordance with P.2/2025 will result in variances in 4 constituencies which exceed the 15% and produce a severe under representation in St. Helier .
In retaining an extra Deputy in each of St. Helier South and North, not only does it improve the variances in respect of those two constituencies, bringing them within the 15%, but it reduces the impact in other constituencies where there is a larger disparity in terms of over-representation.
Although this does not provide a long-term resolution to the situation, it at addresses, for the short term at least, where voters are under-represented in the Island and improves equity for the elections in 2026. The Committee supports this amendment.
The Committee was unable to meet to discuss these comments in person and therefore these represent the majority, rather than a consensus view.
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P.56/2025 Amd. Com.