The Chief Minister and Deputy Russell Labey have jointly convened a working party to consider the role of the Bailiff as President of the States Assembly. The other members of the working party are Deputies Martin, Truscott and Ash.
The working party met on Friday 19 October and agreed the following terms of reference:
To examine the practicalities and implications of the States Assembly either retaining the present arrangement whereby the Bailiff is the President of the States or moving to a new arrangement whereby the States Assembly elects its own Speaker, including considering different options for change.
In undertaking this work, to:
- identify the different roles undertaken by the Bailiff and the inter-relationships between them;
- identify different models for the separation of the legislature, executive and judiciary in other small jurisdictions;
- consider whether or not it would be appropriate for a change to the role of the Bailiff to be a matter determined by a referendum;
- consider whether new rules are required to entrench the role of the Bailiff in law, so that changes to that role require more than a simple majority in the Assembly, or at least one half of elected Members to vote in favour; and
- provide an estimate of the costs of options for changing the speakership of the States Assembly
To report the outcome of its work to the Privileges and Procedures Committee by 28 February 2019.
Further announcements about the working party’s activities will be made in due course.