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WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE CHIEF MINISTER BY DEPUTY G.P. SOUTHERN OF ST. HELIER
ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON TUESDAY 28th APRIL 2009
Question
Will the Chief Minister inform members what the precise reasons are for the Island's failure to sign up to and implement the United Nations (UN) Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment which came into force in June 1987, and in what timescale he proposes to address these reasons for the delay?
Will he further inform members of the Island's position and intentions regarding the UN Conventions on the Rights of the Child and Disabled persons?
Answer
- U n f o rtunately the question is not correct, in that the United Nations Conventionagainst Torture and OtherCruel,InhumanorDegradingTreatmentorPunishmentwasextended to Jersey on9th December 1992 atthe request of the Island Authorities. Jersey prepared its fourth periodic reportonimplementation to the UNCommitteeAgainstTortureinOctober 2008.
- I n August2000, the Jersey authorities indicated to the UK that, in principle, they would wish theUN Convention on the Rights of the Child tobeextended to Jersey, butthere were a numberofissues that first needed to be resolved. Theseincluded introduction of the newChildren's Law 2002, whichcame into force in 2005, and child employment legislation which is the subject of a consultation paper published by the Minister for HealthandSocialServicesin January 2009. An officer workinggroup is also considering a numberof further legislative, practical and resource implicationswhichmay need to be addressed before the Convention can beextendedto Jersey.
- On 20th January2009, I published a progressreport to the States on international conventions and agreements, R.3/2009. In that report I stated that Jersey had been askedtoconsiderwhether they wished the United Nations ConventionontheRights of Persons with Disabilities tobeextended to the Island.
T h e S tates of Jersey has indicated that it will examine the legislative and administrative implications of the
Convention and inform the UK whether or not they wish it to be extended to the Island. This remains the present position.