Connétables
(Jersey) Law 2008
A LAW to make provision as to the
terms of office of the Connétables of the 12 Parishes of Jersey and
arrangements for their election, and for connected purposes
Adopted by the
States 17th January 2008
Sanctioned by
Order of Her Majesty in Council 12th March 2008
Registered by the
Royal Court 28th
March 2008
THE STATES, subject to the sanction of Her Most Excellent Majesty in Council, have
adopted the following Law –
1 Term of office of Connétables
(1) Connétables
shall be elected for a term of 3 years.
(2) Notwithstanding
the term of office stated for Connétables in paragraph (1), a
Connétable shall retire on his or her place being filled by an ordinary
election.
(3) Where
a Connétable resigns before the expiry of his or her term of office, he
or she shall continue in office until his or her place is filled by an election
ordered under Article 3(2) or, by virtue of Article 3(3), an ordinary
election.
(4) The
place of a Connétable is filled upon the person elected to fill the
place taking the oath of the office.
2 Ordinary
elections for Connétables
An ordinary election for Connétables shall be held in the
period of 7 days beginning on 15th October in every third year.
3 Casual
vacancy in office of Connétable
(1) This
Article applies where a casual vacancy occurs in the office of
Connétable, being a vacancy occurring otherwise than upon retirement of
the officeholder under Article 1.
(2) Subject
to paragraph (3), the Royal Court shall, on being informed of the vacancy,
make an order under the Public Elections
(Jersey) Law 2002[1] for an election to fill the
vacancy to be held as soon as is convenient.
(3) Where
the vacancy occurs after the 15th August immediately preceding an ordinary
election for Connétables –
(a) the
Royal Court shall not order an election to fill the vacancy; and
(b) the
vacancy shall be filled by that ordinary election.
(4) The
States may by Regulations amend the date in paragraph (3).
4 Term of
office of person filling casual vacancy
A person elected to fill a casual vacancy in the office of
Connétable shall hold office until the day on which the person in whose
place he or she is elected would have retired under Article 1, and shall
then retire.
5 Code
of 1771[2] amended
(1) The
second paragraph following the heading “CONNETABLE” shall be
deleted.
(2) After
the heading “REGITRES” and the paragraphs following it there shall
be inserted the following heading and paragraph –
“VINGTeniers
____________
Les
Vingteniers ne continueront point en la charge plus de trois ans, à
moins qu’ils n’y soient élus de nouveau, et qu’ils
consentent de l’exercer.”.
6 Police
Force (Jersey) Law 1974 amended
At the beginning of Article 4(2) of the Police Force (Jersey) Law 1974[3] there shall be inserted the
words “Except as provided in the Centeniers (Terms of Office) (Jersey)
Law 2007[4] and the Connétables
(Jersey) Law 2008,”.
7 Public
Elections (Jersey) Law 2002 amended
In the Public Elections (Jersey) Law 2002[5] –
(a) in
Article 17(1) of after the words “States of Jersey
Law 2005” there shall be inserted the words “or under
Article 2 or 3 of the Connétables (Jersey) Law 2008,”;
(b) Article
18 shall be renumbered as paragraph (1) of that Article;
(c) after
paragraph (1) of Article 18 there shall be added the following
paragraph –
“(2) Where, in a year, there is to
be both an ordinary election for Senators, pursuant to Article 5(1) of the
States of Jersey Law 2005[6] and an ordinary election for
Connétables, pursuant to Article 2 of the Connétables
(Jersey) Law 2008, a person may be admitted either as a candidate for election
as a Connétable or as a candidate for election as a Senator, but not
both.”.
8 Transitional
arrangements
(1) Except
as provided in this Article, the terms of office of the Connétables who
are in office on the day this Law comes into force, and of any person who fills
a casual vacancy in such an office, are unaffected by this Law.
(2) The
first ordinary election for Connétables shall be held in 2008.
(3) The
following Connétables shall retire upon their places being filled by the
first ordinary election –
(a) every
Connétable whose term of office expires in 2008;
(b) every
other Connétable who has delivered notice in accordance with
paragraph (4).
(4) A
Connétable may, on or before 15th August 2008, deliver to the Attorney
General notice, in writing, of his or her resignation, for the purpose of his
or her place being filled by the first ordinary election.
(5) A
notice delivered under paragraph (4) cannot be withdrawn.
(6) Where
a Connétable who has delivered notice in accordance with
paragraph (4) subsequently ceases, for any reason, to hold office and,
before the first ordinary election, a person is elected to fill the casual
vacancy in the office, that person shall be bound by the notice delivered by
his or her predecessor.
(7) Notwithstanding
Article 1(1), upon the expiry of the term of office of any
Connétable whose place is not filled by the first ordinary election, the
person elected to fill the place shall be elected for a term expiring upon his
or her place being filled at the ordinary election for Connétables
in 2011.
(8) The
States may, by Regulations, make further transitional arrangements in
connection with the commencement of this Law.
9 Citation
(1) This
Law may be cited as the Connétables (Jersey) Law 2008.
(2) Subject
to paragraph (3), this Law shall come into force on the day that it is
registered.
(3) In
the event that this Law is not registered on or before 8th
August 2008 –
(a) this
Law shall come into force on such day or days as the States by Act appoint; and
(b) the
States may, by Regulations, amend Article 8(1) to (7).
a.h. harris
Deputy Greffier of the States