07 September 2009
The Chief Minister, Senator Terry Le Sueur has announced that Lord Carswell, a former Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland, has agreed for his name to be put forward as a potential Chairman to lead the review of the roles of the Bailiff, Attorney General and Solicitor General.
The Chief Minister agreed to bring a proposition for the States, following consultation with the Privileges and Procedures Committee, to appoint the Chairman and members of the Panel as soon as possible. The aim will be to lodge the Proposition before Tuesday 20 October.
On 4 February 2009 the States determined that an independent review should be conducted into the current roles of the Bailiff, the Attorney General and the Solicitor General. The Panel will be required to prepare a report for consideration by the States, on whether the current roles should be changed and if so, how and the likely cost implications.
Lord Carswell was Senior Crown Counsel in Northern Ireland from 1979 to 1984, when he became Judge of the High Court of Justice Northern Ireland, a post he held until 1993. He was Lord Justice of Appeal at the Supreme Court of Judicature in Northern Ireland from 1993 to 1997 and Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland from 1997 to 2004.
He became a Privy Counsellor in 1993 and was appointed a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary as Baron Carswell, of Killeen in the County of Down, on 12 January 2004.
He retired in June 2009, and as a consequence will be available to lead this review.
An advertisement to seek applications from Jersey residents to be members of the Review Panel was placed in the Jersey Evening Post on Friday 4 and Saturday 5 September. Further information can be found on the States website: www.gov.je/CrownOfficersReview
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gov.je