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28 October 2014

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States Reform

You are in: Jersey > Inside the States > States Reform > Senators: Up or Down

Inside the States Chamber

Senators: Up or Down

By Ryan Morrison

Should Senators be a member of the States of four, six or eight years?

Jersey's politicians have three options on the table over the time Senators sit in the States of Jersey for.

Privileges and Procedures recently suggested the Senators should have their term of office dropped from the current six years to four - this would bring them in line with Deputies and Constables.

In September, the States decided that Deputies should serve for a 4 year term from 2008 and earlier in the year the term of office for Constables was also changed to four years.

However, Deputy Guy De Faye has made an alternative suggestion. He is proposing the amendments which could see Senators serving for eight years.

He suggests that extensions to the time Deputies and Constables serve indicate existing terms are too short. He proposes increasing Senators tenures by a third to match the extension of Deputy and Constable tenures.

But, anyone wanting to become a Senator will need to have been a States member for at least a year. This means that someone without States experience, who's not been tried and tested, will not be allowed to serve for that long a period.

It's thought this would reduce the number of Senatorial elections over time which currently cost around 拢15,000 to stage.

Over to you

Should Senators have their term increased from the current six, so for everyone two Deputy and Constables elections there would be one Senators?

Or should they have their term reduced from the current six to four so that all members can be elected on the same day for the same term every four years?

Do you think the Senators are a special case and should be treated differently to the other two offices?

Do you agree with the proposal to make at least a years service as a Deputy or Constable compulsory before becoming a Senator?

If all members sit for the same term of office is there really any need for different types of members? Should everyone just become a Member of the States of Jersey and sit on the same day, at the same level for the same amount of time?

last updated: 02/01/2008 at 13:32
created: 02/01/2008

Have Your Say

The 大象传媒 reserves the right to edit comments submitted.

phill
6 years is good - gives them time to get feet under the table and to be effective but also not too long to be voted out.States to be made up of 30 Senators or Deputies (- call them what you like) - each sitting for 6 year term.ALL elected on an Island wide vote - NO Parish election.10 places to be up for election every two years.This would provide continuity that is neededElections every two years will get people used to voting.Constables - sit in States have a say BUT NO VOTEThey are head of their parish , head of honorary system - parish should pay their salaries or their position should also be Honorary

Brian
What an idiotic suggestion by Deputy Guy de Faye.

Where else in the democratic world will you find any member of a government in position for eight years without an election??

How can you have confidence in a person who 'started his working life' by putting his hand up a puppet's 'skirt'?? and further, for him to suggest that a to become a Jersey Senator you must serve at least a year as a Deputy.

What about a Constable that may have served 20 years in the States, according to Deputy Guy de Faye this person would be 'barred' from becoming a Senator because he had not been a Deputy for a year.

I believe the people of his District should forget about this 'Guy' at the next election.

Mark
I believe we should have an election every four years like the UK and USA. It keeps them the polititions on thier toes.

Carl
5 year plans are common in the business world, the current 6 year terms are enough to see such plans through from start to finish. Seems OK as it is - why do they have to meddle with things all the time when there are so many more important things to worry about?

Andrew
Four years for all, and limit the role or power of the vote of the Constable. The proposed idea of increasing the term of the Senators to eight years to save money is absurd.

Geraint Jennings
A case of back to the future - the original 9-year term of Senators was reduced to 6 in 1966.The proposal to restrict candidacy as Senator to those who had already served an elected term was discussed during the debates leading up to the constitutional change of 1948 - and rejected. It was argued that otherwise well-qualified candidates would be excluded on a technicality and the electorate would be able to judge the merits or otherwise of candidates in any case.

There might be an argument for restricting Senatorial seats to candidates with prior States experience if Senators wielded powers over and above other Members. However, since all elected Members have equal voting rights, there would seem to be no justification for restricting the ability of electors to vote for, or stand against, any candidate they deem worthy of their vote.

kate
longer terms no way Agree with last sentence just be a member of the states and forget all this petty feudal constable/deputy/senator status

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