Public Hearings

As part of their role in examining the work of the Government and holding it to account, Scrutiny Panels and the Public Accounts Committee regularly hold Public Hearings to gather evidence.

There are two types of hearing:

Quarterly Hearings - each Scrutiny Panel invites the relevant Ministers within the Panel's remit to attend to answer questions related to their areas of responsibility. The Public Accounts Committee typically gathers evidence from accountable officers from Government departments and other senior officials
Review Hearings allow Scrutiny Panels to gather evidence from Ministers, members of the public, stakeholders and industry representatives relating to the review that is being undertaken

Upcoming hearings are listed in advance on this website and on the States Assembly social media channels. Anyone can watch a Public Hearing, either in person or online.

Transcripts of all Public Hearings are made available on the website around five working days after the Hearing. They can be found in the publications section of this website.

Forthcoming Public Hearings

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Tuesday 19 November 2024 Scrutiny Liaison Committee Meeting

Le Capelain Room, States Building

2:00pm to 3:30pm

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Wednesday 20 November 2024 Quarterly Public Hearing - Environment, Housing and Infrastructure Scrutiny Panel (Witness: Minister for Infrastructure)

Le Capelain Room, States Building

10:30am to 11:30am

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Wednesday 20 November 2024 Public Accounts Committee Public Hearing (Witness: Acting Chief Officer of CLS)

Blampied Room, States Building

1:00pm to 2:30pm

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Watching a Public Hearing

In person

Scrutiny hearings normally take place in the States Building in St Helier’s Royal Square. You need to enter via the reception desk at the entrance in the Royal Square, where ramp access is available.

Seating is provided and you can enter quietly at any time during a Public Hearing. We can provide hearing assistance headsets, if required.

Members of the public attending hearings must not intervene or interrupt the proceedings and filming of Public Hearings is not permitted without the prior written consent of the Scrutiny Liaison Committee. Agreement to film is likely to be permitted only in exceptional circumstances, and in such cases to be restricted to the first five minutes of the hearing. Requests to film should be made via email to scrutiny@gov.je at least 24 hours in advance of the scheduled start of the hearing and should explain why the official webcast footage would not adequately meet the intended need.

Online

Scrutiny Hearings are broadcast live online and can be viewed during and after the meeting via the States Assembly website or YouTube channel.

Below is an example of a recording of a recent Public Hearing.

Giving evidence at a Hearing

If you are invited to give evidence to a Scrutiny Panel or the Public Accounts Committee, a Committee and Panel Officer will provide details of the time and location of the hearing and information on the topic areas likely to be covered. Scrutiny Panels can hear evidence in private if it contains private or personal information. If you believe this applies to your evidence, you should inform the Committee and Panel Officer before the hearing.

A Panel may want to hear evidence from your organisation. If this is the case, one or several representatives may need to attend the hearing. You will be asked to give full names and job titles of these representatives in advance of the hearing. If you wish to add or make changes to these representatives, this should be discussed with the Committee and Panel Officer beforehand.

Written evidence: if you would like to provide the Panel with extra written evidence at the hearing, please submit it at least 24 hours before the hearing.

What to bring: please bring a brief opening statement (if you have been given the opportunity to make one) and a copy of your written evidence (if submitted).

What to wear: we recommend that you wear comfortable clothing appropriate for a professional setting.

Protection from being sued: witnesses are given protection from being sued or prosecuted. This is based on the evidence provided directly to a Scrutiny Panel or the Public Accounts Committee. This means you can speak freely and openly to the Panel without fear of legal action but this shouldn't be abused by making unproven statements about third parties who have no right of reply. Please bear this in mind when you're answering questions.

During the Hearing: each Scrutiny Panel has a Chair who is in charge of the hearing. The Chair will call Members of the Panel and witnesses to speak. All the Members will have name plates in front of them. You can address them as Chair, Deputy or Connétable accordingly.

You may be given the opportunity to make a brief opening statement. Please note, the Panel members will already have a copy of your evidence (if you have already made a written submission), so this may not be necessary. Anyone accompanying you in an official capacity may pass you notes if necessary.

All proceedings are recorded. There will be an automatic microphone in front of you. As it is a Public Hearing, the media and members of the public have the right to attend. They will not interfere in the proceedings.

After the Hearing: follow-up information should be forwarded to the Committee and Panel Officer within seven days from the date of giving evidence. In exceptional cases, this might be extended. You will also be provided with a copy of the transcript from your hearing. Upon receiving the transcript, you will be asked to correct any factual inaccuracies.

As soon as the final Scrutiny Panel or Public Accounts Committee report is published, you will be sent a copy of it.

If you have any questions about the process, please contact scrutiny@gov.je.