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PERSONAL STATEMENT TO BE MADE BY DEPUTY G.P. SOUTHERN OF ST HELIER ON 12th OCTOBER 2004
"On Friday 8th October 2004, I was asked to resign from the Scrutiny Panel of which I am a member by the Chairman, Deputy Dorey, on the grounds that I had leaked the conclusions of the Panel's enquiry to the media. The leak had caused some members, including the President of the Home Affairs Committee, some difficulty as they were pressured by journalists for a response to conclusions that they had not seen.
At the time, I denied categorically that I had been the source of the leak. I maintain that denial. I did however talk to the media about some of the issues and the evidence we had received. This evidence was taken in public and can be viewed on the Scrutiny website by any member of the press or public. It is clearly in the public domain. I repeat that I made no reference to any conclusions or recommendations, which were about to be finalised.
When it became clear that the other members of the Panel were also persuaded that I was the source of the leak, I resigned at the Chairman's request.
In the light of subsequent events, I make this personal statement to the Assembly because I believe this incident may have cast some doubt upon my integrity ability to work in a team, and I wish any such doubt to be removed. More importantly, however, I feel that it offers the opportunity to bring the attention of both members and the public to the major culture shift that the scrutiny process involves: a vital element is that scrutiny takes place in the public domain. Members must accustom themselves, and the public with them, to a robust engagement with an evidence-based procedure that takes place in the public domain.
I remain a strong proponent of scrutiny, and I remain proud of the progress we have made, particularly in opening up the process of government to the public. In the light of this incident, I call on the Privileges and Procedures Committee to review its guidelines for the development of the Shadow Scrutiny process to ensure that greater openness is protected."