| Politics of Jersey |
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Local government |
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AParish Assembly inJersey is the decision-making body of local government, comprisingratepayers (includingmandataires) and electors of theparish.
The Parish Assembly:
Eachparish is headed by aConstable (French:Connétable;Jèrriais:Connêtabl'ye) who is elected for a three-year period by the residents of the Parish.[1]
The Constable is assisted in all matters by a ParishMunicipality which consists of twoProcureurs du Bien Public.
The Parish is further divided intoVingtaines (or inSaint Ouen cueillettes). Each vingtaine is represented by twoVingteniers, twoRoads Inspectors and threeConstable's Officers. All are elected and sworn officers of theRoyal Court.
ARoads Committee of five elected principals is also available to offer advice on a range of issues; chiefly related to the roads.Centeniers are the highest rankingpolice officers in Jersey and are elected.
InJersey, theRoads Committee (French:Comité des Chemins) is the highway authority for Parish roads in eachParish. In accordance with theLoi (1914) sur la Voirie it superintends the repair and maintenance of by-roads in the Parish, establishes boundary stones, issuesChoses Publiques licenses, examines planning applications that fall within its responsibilities, supervises refuse collection, adjudicates fines during the Visite du Branchage, and proposes new road names, as may be necessary, for approval by the Parish Assembly. TheConnétable presides over the Roads Committee which also includes the Rector and three Principals of the Parish [five Principals for St Helier] elected for a term of three years by the Parish Assembly.
Instructions are passed toRoads Inspectors whose duty it is to ensure that the repairs are carried out.
In St. Helier, the larger Roads Committee also undertakes additional non-statutory responsibilities with regard to parks and other matters, and acts, in the absence of a municipal council, as an advisory body to the Connétable. By convention, the twoProcureur du Bien Public of St. Helier attend meetings of the Roads Committee, but cannot vote.
The Parish Assembly elects two Roads Inspectors for eachVingtaine [or Cueillette in St Ouen] for a three-year term of office in accordance with the Loi (1914) sur la Voirie. Roads Inspectors are responsible for the repair of by-roads of the Parish and have to ensure the instructions of theRoads Committee are carried out.
In theParish ofSt Helier, the Roads Inspectors also undertake additional non-statutory responsibilities with regard to the policing of infractions of the Road Traffic Act (Jersey) and other areas of the law within the parochial remit such as dog licensing and fly posting. They also serve as conduits of information to theHonorary Police.
Their chief role is the annualVisite du Branchage and the triennialVisite Royale.
Supplementary bodies are also elected to serve specific needs; in the largest parishSt Helier these include; theAccounts Committee, theWelfare Board, and theYouth Council.
Matters of import are brought before a gathering of the municipality and members of the public for consideration and vote.
There is anHonorary Police (French:Police Honorifique) force in eachparish inJersey.
Honorary Police officers have, for centuries, been elected by parishioners to assist theConnétable of the Parish to maintain law and order. Officers are elected asCenteniers,Vingteniers orConstable's Officers each with various duties and responsibilities.Centeniers are the highest rankingpolice officers in Jersey and are elected.
The Honorary Police provided the only law enforcement prior to the appointment of paid Police officers for the Parish ofSaint Helier in 1853 and later to serve the whole Island. The Honorary Police still provide an essential and very valuable service to the Parish and community.
Each Parish Assembly elects a number ofCenteniers,Vingteniers andConstable's Officers who act in the name of the Connétable of the Parish in maintaining law and order. These officers are elected for a period of three years and take an oath in the Royal Court.
All Honorary Police officers must live in the Parish at the time of their first election or, in the case of St Helier, be a ratepayer ormandataire of that Parish. If an officer moves out of the Parish during her/his term of office, s/he may continue her/his term of office with the approval of Her Majesty's Attorney General and the Connétable of the Parish and may stand for re-election provided there is no break in service.
A person may be nominated for election as a member of the Honorary Police if, on the day of nomination, s/he is at least 20 years of age and less than 70 years of age.
Honorary Police officers are on duty for one week at a time, usually every 3 or 4 weeks depending upon the roster within the Parish, and are on call 24 hours a day during that period. Honorary Police officers are elected to serve the Parish but in certain circumstances may assist or operate outside the Parish.
Anyone standing for election as a member of the Honorary Police will have to undergo a criminal record check.
In order to maintain the historic ties to theChurch of England aRectorate comprising the Connétable and Procureurs, and the Rector and Churchwardens oversees the operation of the largest church within the Parochial boundary. Decisions regarding the operation of the Church are made by anEcclesiastical Assembly which is composed of the same persons as theParish Assembly.