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2.12 Deputy M. Tadier of the Chairman of the Comité des Connétable s regarding warrant cards issued to Connetables:
Will the Chairman advise whether any warrant cards have been issued to the Connétable s in the time between the tabling of the written answer to me on 21st February 2012 and the current date and, if so, would he state how many, to whom and why they were issued?
Connétable J.L.S. Gallichan of Trinity (Chairman, Comité des Connétable s):
Between tabling the written question on 21st February 2012 and the current date, 2 warrant cards have been issued, one to the Connétable of St. Clement and the other to the Connétable of St. Ouen . They are issued for identity purposes only.
- Deputy M. Tadier :
So the answer which I was fully expecting has to be for identification of what? The Connétable of Trinity :
Maybe they are not so well known as other Constables in their Parish.
- Deputy M. Tadier :
That is not a satisfactory answer. The clear implication of the question is that now all States Members are able to get a card identifying them and their position in the States Assembly, whether that be Deputy , Senator or Constable. My point is - and this was brought in incidentally after the first questions were being asked, so I am sure that the said Deputies of St. Clement and St. Ouen could apply for one of these cards - is it to identify them as police officers, as I believe that is what warrant cards are for, and so that they can carry out policing duties in their respective Parishes?
[11:00]
The Connétable of Trinity :
To the best of my knowledge, Deputy , they do not have these cards for policing as far as I know, but, as you know, the Connétable s retain the authority to carry a warrant card under existing legislation. It is there for the decision of each individual Connétable whether they wish to do so. Obviously, these Connétable s have decided they wish to have a warrant card. I presume, as far as I am aware, none of the Connétable s at present do any policing matters. We leave that policing to the Chef de Police of the Parish.
- Deputy M. Tadier :
I note first of all that 10 Constables have decided that they do not feel the need to carry a warrant card identifying them as a police officer, which is interesting. I presume also that discussions about this subject have taken place on the Comité des Connétable s, so could I ask the Chairman to have a full and open discussion with the Comité des Connétable s to decide whether it is considered best practice by the Chairman for Constables who are considered no longer to be active policemen to have cards which denote them as active policemen.
The Connétable of Trinity :
It can be brought to the Comité des Connétable s but it is still down to each individual if they wish so, and each individual has to make their own views. I do not think we can enforce someone not to have one when they are entitled to have one at present because they are head of the Honorary Police.
- Senator P.F.C. Ozouf :
The Deputy said that the Constable of St. Ouen might not be known in his Parish. Would the Chairman confirm that, in fact, he believes that the Constable is now very well known to the 8 million readers of The Economist following his excellent work [Laughter] and the excellent work that the Honorary Police do in Jersey?
The Connétable of Trinity :
I am sure that is correct.
- Deputy M. Tadier :
I am sure the second part of Senator Ozouf 's question, which he did not quite add there, is: "... and therefore he does not need a warrant card to identify him to his parishioners."
The Connétable of Trinity :
That is not a question, but I think it is down to each Connétable to decide their own matter. The Deputy Bailiff :
That brings that part of question time to an end. Senator Ferguson, I have you down as malade and obviously I am delighted to see that you are well enough to attend the Assembly. Could I ask if you asked Deputy Vallois to declare to the Assembly that you were malade?
Senator S.C. Ferguson:
There appears to have been a slight confusion. I have been malade for the last few weeks. This week I had a doctor's appointment at 9.15 a.m. I sent a message to the Deputy but I would assume that, unusually, she has not caught up with her messages and, therefore, she incorrectly assumed that I would not be coming in today but ...
The Deputy Bailiff :
You very clearly have been marked défaut excusé for a doctor's appointment, but I make the point only to Members that it is important before you take an oath to say that another Member is malade that you should ensure that the person really is sick or make them sick so they cannot be present.
Senator S.C. Ferguson:
I was malade until I came out of the doctor's.