Statue of George Carteret in St. Peter

20.10.06

6 Deputy M. Tadier of the States of Jersey Trustee of the Jersey Community Relations

Trust regarding the statue of George Carteret in St. Peter (OQ.254/2020)

Was the Jersey Community Relations Trust consulted about the erection of the George Carteret statue in St. Peter in 2014? If so, will the Deputy provide details of that consultation?

Deputy L.M.C. Doublet (States of Jersey Trustee of the Jersey Community Relations

Trust):

I thank the Deputy for the question. Upon examination of the minute books, no record of any consultation with the J.C.R.T. (Jersey Community Relations Trust) has been found.

1. Deputy M. Tadier :

I thank the Deputy for that answer. Given the fact that Sir George Carteret was one of the most famous, if not most prolific, slave traders that Jersey has ever produced and contributed to immense suffering of the people that he enslaved and those who died in transit on his boats going over to the Caribbean and elsewhere, does the Deputy think it is strange that in 2014 when a statue was put up of a slave trader that the Community Relations Trust was not even approached for a view on how it might affect people in the black community living in Jersey?

Deputy L.M.C. Doublet :

I do think it is strange that a statue would be erected without sufficient background research being done into the background of the person who is on that statue, yes. I think that is what has happened. I think perhaps it is not strange that the J.C.R.T. were not consulted because I think the diversity issues just were not discovered with any research done around the statue and that is why nobody was consulted. But I do think it is strange in 2014 that that research was not conducted at all it seems.

2. Deputy K.F. Morel :

When the Jersey Community Relations Trust undertake consultations for research does it ordinarily place the results of that research of consultation on to its website?

Deputy L.M.C. Doublet :

Yes, there have been some issues with the website. Last year I think the website was hacked so we were without a website for some time, and we are currently undergoing a rebrand. But, yes, all of our reports are publicly available and if any members of the public or any States Members want access to any of those reports please do email me and I will make sure those are forwarded. But J.C.R.T. does tend to do reports on big issues, so research reports in a similar way to a Scrutiny report rather than smaller consultations.

3. Deputy K.F. Morel :

I have looked at news and consultations and news of consultations on the J.C.R.T. website but unfortunately the website has no information past 2013. Will the Chair please endeavour to ensure that the Community Trust uses it website for the community to place news so the Island can understand what the Community Trust is doing?

[10:30]

Deputy L.M.C. Doublet :

Absolutely, and I will repeat what I have just said that there have been some issues with the website being hacked. We are undergoing a rebrand and once that is complete all the reports and consultations will be available publicly on the new website.

4. Senator S.Y. Mézec :

Could I ask the Deputy in her capacity with the Community Relations Trust whether she has a particular view about the way forward on this rather delicate subject where we have an active glorification which took place just a few years ago of a man who, in his own time, was extremely unpopular in the Island and who inflicted misery and awful actions against black people which even at the time were considered reprehensible - if not by the aristocracy of which George Carteret was a part of. In our community now, reconciling those issues and what it means today, does the Deputy have a view about what could be a good way forward in having that discussion and working out what we do with these offensive monuments, which for some reason still are in place in Jersey today?

Deputy L.M.C. Doublet :

I think that the solution to this issue should come from members of the black community, so I would like to see what they would like done with the statue. I understand that a compromise has been offered whereby the statue would not be destroyed but could be possibly displayed in a museum setting in Jersey, and with the requisite information and historical details accompanying the statue. Personally I feel that would be a good compromise.

5. Deputy M. Tadier :

I think that the Deputy was kind when she said that when she said the statue was put up proper research had not been done. It is the case - because I have spoken to the person who gave advice to the former Constable of St. Peter ...

The Bailiff :

Deputy this does have to be a question and at the moment you are informing ... Deputy M. Tadier :

It is a question; it is the context. Is the Deputy aware that when the statue was constructed and erected it was done in the full knowledge of George Carteret's slave trading past, and that the person who put it up put it up irrespective of that and, therefore, it is not a case that the research was not done but it is a case that it was put up in the full knowledge of that fact? So with that in mind, does the Deputy think that it is completely unacceptable that the Community Relations Trust were not consulted?

Deputy L.M.C. Doublet :

It does surprise me to hear that that research would have been done by the people putting up the statute, and I do not think it is acceptable, no. With full knowledge of that individual's past and history I do not really think it is acceptable to put up a statue to that person if that knowledge is something that is known about at the time; no, I do not agree with that.