Jersey Police Complaints Authority: appointment of new members.

STATES OF JERSEY

JERSEY POLICE COMPLAINTS AUTHORITY: APPOINTMENT OF NEW MEMBERS

Lodged au Greffe on 9th February 2015 by the Minister for Home Affairs

STATES GREFFE

2015   Price code: A  P.15

PROPOSITION

THE STATES are asked to decide whether they are of opinion

in accordance with Article 2 of, and the Schedule to, the Police (Complaints and  Discipline)  (Jersey)  Law  1999,  to  appoint  the  following  people  as members of the Jersey Police Complaints Authority for a period of 3 years –

Mr. Duncan Baxter Miss Allana Binnie Mrs. Gail McCourt Ms. Debbie Sebire.

MINISTER FOR HOME AFFAIRS

REPORT

The terms of office of 2 members of the Jersey Police Complaints Authority (JPCA) came to an end on 31st December 2014 and they decided not to seek re-appointment. The former Deputy Chairman of the JPCA had also resigned during 2014. I would like to publically thank Mrs. Jane Martin, Dr. John Birtwistle and Mr. Bruce Ridley for their significant contribution to the JPCA over the years.

The positions were advertised in the Jersey Evening Post and on the Jobs in Jersey website. A shortlisting process was then undertaken, and interviews took place on 17th December 2014.

In January 2015, following interviews by a Panel comprising the Chairman of the Jersey  Police  Complaints Authority,  a  Human  Resources  Officer  from  the  Home Affairs Department, and a representative of the Jersey Appointments Commission, the position of member of the Jersey Police Complaints Authority has been offered to Mr. Duncan Baxter, Miss Allana Binnie, Mrs. Gail McCourt and Ms. Debbie Sebire.

It is acknowledged that the departure of 2 members of the Authority at the end of 2014 has meant that, since 1st January 2015, the Authority has not had the number of members prescribed by the Police (Complaints and Discipline) (Jersey) Law 1999, which states that the membership of the Authority "shall consist of a Chairman and not  less  than  6  or  more  than  8  other  members".  The  Authority  currently  has  a Chairman and 3 other members.

The Minister recommends that the following be appointed to serve on the Jersey Police Complaints Authority for a period of 3 years –

Mr. Duncan Baxter

Mr. Baxter was born in England and educated in Zimbabwe. He worked in banking in Zimbabwe before taking up a position at Commercial Bank (Jersey) Limited (the predecessor to Swiss Bank Corporation) in 1984. Between 1988 and 1998 he was the Managing  Director  of  Swiss  Bank  Corporation  (Jersey).  Since  1998 he  has been involved in various consultancy projects with a number of financial institutions.

He is now mostly retired, but still holds a few non-executive directorships and sits on audit committees and remuneration committees.

Miss Allana Binnie

Miss Binnie was educated at Les Quennevais and Hautlieu before studying Law and Psychology  at  Sheffield   Hall am  University.  She  subsequently  obtained  her  LLB through  Nottingham  Trent  University  on  its  distance  learning  programme,  whilst employed  with  Bedell  Cristin  in  Jersey,  before  undertaking  the  Bar  Professional Training Course at City Law School, London.

She has previously worked as a paralegal in both Jersey and Australia, and is now employed  as  a  Legal  Assistant  at  Lacey  Advocates,  where  she  deals  with  the Independent Care Inquiry, regulatory and litigation matters.

Page - 3

P.15/2015

Mrs. Gail McCourt

Mrs. McCourt was born and educated in Northern Ireland. She obtained an MA in Applied Languages for Business from the University of Ulster, having previously obtained her degree in Applied Languages from the same university. She relocated from Northern Ireland to Jersey in early 2003 and took up employment with Royal Bank of Canada Wealth Management.

She  has  worked  her  way  up  through  various  management  roles  within  that organisation, and has recently been appointed Head of Regional Market Strategy and Development for RBC Wealth Management – International. She is tasked with leading the development of the regional distribution strategy and ensuring that it is robust, transparent and measurable, and in line with the business's key priority markets.

Ms. Debbie Sebire

Ms. Sebire  is  currently  a  non-executive  director  and  audit  committee  chair  for Coutts & Co  Trustees  (Jersey)  Limited.  From  2004  to  2012,  Ms. Sebire  was  the Director, Trust Company Business for the Jersey Financial Services Commission. Following the introduction of trust company regulation, this role involved establishing a practical framework to supervise trust companies in accordance with the newly introduced Laws, Orders and Codes of Practice. The role also involved overseeing the investigation  and  any  resultant  application  of  enforcement  measures  to  both individuals and trust companies, as necessary.

From 1991 to 2004, Ms. Sebire worked as a Director of Citigroup's Jersey Trust Company, responsible at various times for running the Jersey Trust Company and a Mutual Fund Unit. Additionally, she also moved to Singapore for the purpose of establishing a trust presence in that region for Citigroup. Ms. Sebire is an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Bankers and a Member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners.

Financial and manpower implications

The posts are honorary, although reasonable expenses can be claimed.

There are no additional financial or manpower implications for the States arising from this proposition.