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STATES OF JERSEY
CODE OF CONDUCT FOR ELECTED MEMBERS OF THE STATES: REVIEW
Lodged au Greffe on 20th April 2009 by the Deputy of St. John
STATES GREFFE
2009 Price code: A P.61
PROPOSITION
THE STATES are asked to decide whether they are of opinion
to request the Privileges and Procedures Committee to review the Code of Conduct for Elected Members of the States and the sanctions available for breaches of the Code and put forward measures to ensure that States Members maintain acceptable standards of behaviour when undertaking their public duties.
DEPUTY OF ST. JOHN
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P.61/2009
REPORT
In recent months we have seen several members detained or arrested for various offences; in some cases the member has pleaded guilty to an offence, yet within our current Code of Conduct there is nothing to prevent these members who have pleaded guilty from putting questions to the Law Officers or bringing changes to the Law under which he or she has been charged prior to the case being heard by the Courts.
This cannot be right, a member of the public cannot ask H.M. Attorney General or H.M. Solicitor General questions on issues to do with charges/offences to which they have pleaded guilty, nor should a States Member be permitted to do so.
I think that the Privileges and Procedures Committee are very lax in not having brought to the States for debate a proposition similar to that proposed in my report.
Financial and manpower implications
There are no significant financial or manpower implications arising from this proposition other than the time that will be needed to draft the amendments to Standing Orders in relation to the Code.
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P.61/2009