Lord Carswel
THE States should remove the Bailiff from his position as President of the House to save Jersey the embarrassment of being forced to make the change by the European Court, says one of the UK’s most eminent judges.
Speaking yesterday following the publication of the review into the roles of the Crown Officers which he was asked to lead and which recommended that the Bailiff should cease to be President of the States, Lord Carswell warned that inaction could damage Jersey’s reputation.
The former Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland explained that the review panel, which he chaired, had sought the advice of an eminent London barrister on the legality of the dual role of the Bailiff as President of the States and head of the judiciary.
The lawyer, Rabinder Singh QC, said that while he thought Jersey might be able to successfully defend a challenge to the Bailiff’s role in the States in Europe now, the position was likely to be less tenable in ten years.
‘End the Bailiff’s dual role’