Connétables
(Miscellaneous Provisions) (Jersey) Law 2012
A LAW to repeal the policing
functions of the Connétables, to empower a Procureur du Bien Public to deputise for a Connétable in certain
circumstances, to remove certain other functions from the Connétables
and to make ancillary and consequential amendments.
Adopted by the
States 16th May 2012
Sanctioned by
Order of Her Majesty in Council 17th October 2012
Registered by the
Royal Court 26th
October 2012
THE STATES, subject to the sanction of Her Most Excellent Majesty in Council, have
adopted the following Law –
1 Interpretation
In this Law “policing function” means any of the
following powers or duties, at customary law or under any enactment, exercisable
by a Connétable –
(a) keeping
the peace;
(b) opposing
and arresting wrongdoers and bringing them to justice;
(c) for
the purpose of exercising the function in paragraph (a) or (b) –
(i) searching,
examining or investigating, or authorizing a search, examination or
investigation of, property of any description or a person,
(ii) charging
a person with an offence,
(iii) arresting
a person,
(iv) granting
bail,
(v) conducting
a parish hall inquiry into an allegation that an offence has been committed,
including the levying of a fine summarily,
(vi) presenting
a person charged with an offence before a court, and
(vii) discharging
functions incidental or ancillary to any of the actions referred to in this
paragraph.
2 Abrogation
of customary law relating to policing functions of Connétables
The customary law is abrogated to the extent that it provides for
the exercise of any policing function by a Connétable.
3 Enactments
amended relating to policing functions of Connétables
Schedule 1 shall have effect.
4 Supervisory
role of the Connétables
Nothing in this Law shall be taken to derogate in any way from –
(a) the
responsibility of the Connétable of a parish at customary law or under
any enactment to supervise the Honorary Police of the parish; and
(b) the
powers and duties of the Connétable associated with the discharge of
that responsibility.
5 Circumstances
in which Connétables’ functions are exercisable by Procureur du
Bien Public
(1) In
the event of the Connétable of a parish –
(a) being
unable to discharge the functions of office for any reason including, without
prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, illness or injury;
(b) being
absent from Jersey except where the absence is for 7 days or less and the
Connétable informs either or both of the Procureurs du Bien Public of
the parish that the Connétable will discharge the functions of office during
that period of absence; or
(c) no
longer holding office for any reason pending that office being filled in accordance
with any other enactment,
the functions of the Connétable, while such inability,
absence or gap in office continues, shall be discharged by the senior of the 2
Procureurs du Bien Public of the parish, as determined in accordance with paragraph (4),
except where paragraph (2) or (3) applies.
(2) Instead
of the senior of the 2 Procureurs du Bien Public, the other Procureur du Bien
Public may, with the consent of the Attorney General discharge any or all of the
functions of the Connétable under this Article.
(3) If the
senior of the 2 Procureurs du Bien Public is unable, for any reason, to
discharge any or all of the functions of the Connétable under this
Article the other Procureur du Bien Public shall discharge the functions that
the senior Procureur is unable to discharge.
(4) For
the purposes of this Article, the seniority of the 2 Procureurs du Bien Public shall be determined by –
(a) their
respective seniority in office;
(b) if
that seniority cannot be distinguished, their respective periods of continuous
service in the relevant parish; or
(c) if
seniority in office and period of service cannot be distinguished, their
respective seniority in age.
(5) For
the purposes of this Article “functions of the Connétable”
or “function of office” do not include any of the following
functions –
(a) attending
the States Assembly as a member of the States of Jersey;
(b) acting
as a member of the Supervisory Committee within the meaning of the Rates
(Jersey) Law 2005[1];
(c) acting
as a member of the Comité des Connétables; and
(d) anything
incidental to any of the above functions.
(6) The
customary law is abrogated to the extent that it provides for a Chef de Police
of a parish to deputise for the Connétable of the parish.
(7) Any
function under any other enactment relating to the appointment of a person to
the office of Chef de Police of a parish by the Connétable shall be
exercised by the Procureur du Bien Public under this Article only after
consultation with the Attorney General.
(8) Any
function under any other enactment relating to the removal of a person from the
office of the Chef de Police of a parish by the Connétable shall be
exercised by a Procureur du Bien Public under this Article only with the
consent of the Attorney General.
(9) This
Article is without prejudice to Article 20 of the Public Elections
(Jersey) Law 2002[2].
6 Enactments
amended relating to other functions
Schedule 2 shall have effect.
7 Regulations
concerning the functions of the Connétables
(1) The
States may by Regulations amend any enactment so as to –
(a) repeal
any provision that confers a policing function on a Connétable;
(b) remove
any policing function from a Connétable and confer it instead on a
Centenier or, specifically, on the Chef de Police of a parish; and
(c) repeal
any provision that confers a function on the Chef de Police of a parish, if
such function would otherwise be exercisable by a Procureur du Bien Public
under Article 5;
(d) remove
any function from a Chef de Police that, had the function been vested in a
Connétable, would be exercisable by a Procureur du Bien Public under Article 5
and confer it instead on a Connétable or Procureur du Bien Public, or
both;
(e) remove
any function from a Chef de Police that is exercisable on behalf of a
Connétable, if such function would otherwise be exercisable by a Procureur
du Bien Public under Article 5, and confer it instead on the Procureur du
Bien Public as being exercisable on behalf of the Connétable.
(2) Regulations
made under this Article may contain such transitional, consequential,
incidental, supplementary or savings provisions as the States think fit.
8 Citation
and commencement
This Law may be cited as the Connétables (Miscellaneous
Provisions) (Jersey) Law 2012 and shall come into force on such day or
days as the States may by Act appoint and different days may be appointed for
different provisions.
a.h. harris
Deputy Greffier of the States
SCHEDULE 1
(Article 3)
enactments amended relating to policing
functions of CONNÉTABLEs
1 Code
of 1771 amended
In the Code of 1771[3] –
(a) under
the heading “CONNÉTABLE” there shall be deleted the words
“de faire rapport, et présenter en Justice toutes personnes
contrevenant aux Ordonnances et Règlemens établis pour le bon
ordre dans la société, et”;
(b) under
the heading “A LA COUR DU SAMEDI” in the final paragraph there
shall be deleted the words “Connétables et”;
(c) under
the heading “SERMENT DES CONNÉTABLES” there shall be deleted
the words –
(i) “garderez
et”, and
(ii) “,
vous opposant à, et saisissant de fait, tous ceux qui tentent ou commettent
toute façon de crime, de délit ou de contravention lesquels vous
présenterez en Justice pour être punis selon leurs méfaits,
vous conformant en ceci aux instructions de Monsieur le Procureur
Général de la Reine”;
(d) under
the heading “SERMENT DES CENTENIERS” for the words “dont vous
informerez le Connétable, afin qu’ils soient
présentés” there shall be substituted the words
“lesquels vous présenterez”.
2 Police
Force (Jersey) Law 1974 amended
In the Police Force (Jersey) Law 1974[4] –
(a) in Article 3 –
(i) for
paragraph (2) there shall be substituted the following paragraph –
“(2) Subject to the provisions of
any other enactment, there shall be expressly reserved to a Centenier the
powers of –
(a) the granting of bail to any person;
(b) the formal charging of any person with an
offence, without prejudice to the customary powers of the Attorney General in
the prosecution of offences;
(c) conducting and deciding a parish hall
inquiry into an allegation that an offence has been committed; and
(d) presenting a person charged with an offence
before a court.”,
(ii) in
paragraph (3) the words “Connétable or” shall be
deleted,
(iii) in
paragraph (4) there shall be deleted the words “a Connétable
or, in the Connétable’s absence,”;
(b) in Article 4 –
(i) in
paragraph (1) there shall be deleted the words “, as hitherto, one
Connétable for each parish in Jersey and”,
(ii) in
paragraph (2) there shall be deleted the words “and the
Connétables (Jersey) Law 2008[5],”.
SCHEDULE 2
(Article 6)
enactments amended relating to other
functions
1 Loi
(1842) sur les publications dans les Eglises
In Article 4 of the Loi (1842) sur
les publications dans les Eglises[6],
the words “ou Chef de Police” shall be deleted.
2 Loi
(1905) au sujet des Assemblées Paroissiales
In the first paragraph of Article Unique
in the Loi (1905) au sujet des Assemblées Paroissiales[7],
the words “ou Chef-de-Police” shall be deleted.
3 Loi
(1937) sur l’atténuation des peines et sur la mise en
liberté surveillée
In the Loi (1937) sur l’atténuation
des peines et sur la mise en liberté surveillée[8] –
(a) in Article 4(c)
for the word “Connétable” there shall be substituted the
words “Centenier chargé de l’affaire”;
(b) in Article 5 –
(i) in
paragraph (1) for the word “Connétable” each time it
appears there shall be substituted the words “Centenier chargé de
l’affaire”,
(ii) in
paragraph (2) for the word “Connétable” there shall be
substituted the words “Centenier chargé de l’affaire”,
(iii) in
paragraph (3) for the word “Connétable” there shall be
substituted the words “Centenier chargé de l’affaire”,
(iv) in
paragraph (5) for the word “Connétable” there shall be
substituted the words “Centenier chargé de l’affaire”,
(v) paragraph (6)
shall be repealed.
4 Firearms
(Jersey) Law 2000
Paragraphs (3) and (4) of Article 2A of the Firearms (Jersey)
Law 2000[9] shall be repealed.
5 Criminal
Justice (Community Service Orders) (Jersey) Law 2001
In the Criminal Justice (Community Service Orders) (Jersey) Law 2001[10] –
(a) in Article 6(2)(b)
for the word “Connétable” there shall be substituted the
words “Centenier”;
(b) in Article 7(1)
and (2) for the word “Connétable” each time it appears there
shall be substituted the word “Centenier”.