There are 49 elected members of the States, and while all of them have certain duties, such as the requirement to attend States meetings, what they do from day-to-day, will differ depending on whether they are a Deputy or a Constable (Connétable).
All 49 members are voted in on the same day (except when a by-election is called) and for a four-year term of office.
There are 12 elected Constables, one for each of the Parishes in Jersey. There have been Constables as Members of the States Assembly from the earliest records of meetings, which go back 500 years.
Constables are the head of their Parish and spend a considerable amount of their time working there. Parish work involves dealing with Parishioners’ queries, managing everyday matters such as rubbish and recycling collections, the upkeep of roads, ensuring dog licences are issued, overseeing the policing of the Parish, and more.
In addition to the duties in the Parish, Constables have a seat in the States Assembly. This means that the Constables participate in States Meetings every 3 weeks and are eligible to take on other Assembly roles such as ministerial positions or in Scrutiny.
To stand for election as a Constable, you need to live in the Parish you wish to represent.
There are 37 Deputies, who each represent a constituency which contains one or more parishes. You don’t have to live in that constituency to stand for election there, however, you are representing it and so you would be expected to get involved in matters relating to your voters. Many Deputies hold constituency drop-in sessions which are open door opportunities for members of the public to pop-in and ask for advice or to highlight issues.
As States Members, the Deputies are eligible to become part of government as Ministers or take on roles in Scrutiny. Like Constables, they must attend States meetings and have the power to bring proposals for change to the Assembly in the form of ‘Propositions’.
The 37 Deputies are elected to represent one of 9 constituencies. The number of Deputies per constituency is relative to the population. The more people, the more Deputies there are. There is one Deputy for roughly every 3,000 Islanders.
Supporting Parishioners/Constituents
Many of the States Assembly members will hold drop-in sessions, where they will be available to listen to any issues, concerns, or feedback that the public in their voting area have. Those who don’t hold dedicated drop-in sessions, have their contact details available so that people can get in touch to discuss specific issues.
As a States Member, you are required to attend all meetings of the States unless ill (malade) or off island on States’ business (absent de l’Île) or excused due to another important prior engagement such as a hospital appointment. There is the provision to attend remotely from home, if you are needing to isolate, otherwise States Members meet in the States Assembly.
States meetings are held every 3 weeks on Tuesdays, with continuation days on Wednesdays and Thursday, as required.
Members need to prepare for debates in the States and will receive a large volume of documentation before each meeting. Members need to research the matters under discussion to decide whether they will support or oppose the matter. There may be amendments to a particular proposal, or a member might like to make their own amendment having read what is being put forward. As a new or existing States member, there will be training available to help you with all of this and there are plenty of resources to explain how you can fulfil these tasks.
Participation in States Meetings is guided by the rules of the Assembly known as the ‘Standing Orders’. When speaking in a debate, some members like to prepare a speech beforehand, while others might decide to speak on the spur of the moment as they listen to the debate.
The Member who has brought forward the proposition will speak first to introduce their proposition, and also last to answer any questions or statements mentioned during the debate.
Members vote at the end of debates to decide whether or not a proposition should be taken forward. Voting is usually undertaken using an electronic voting system. Members can vote Pour (for), Contre (against) or Abstain. Votes are recorded by the Greffier of the States, who has official responsibility for keeping a record of the decisions of the States Assembly.
States Assembly meetings are broadcast live via Webcast and are also available on YouTube. Minutes are officially recorded of attendance, questions and statements, and decisions taken. Since 2005, there have also been complete transcripts of debates made and these are added to the Hansard records.
Members will also pursue political matters in which they have a particular interest. A Member may, for example, have a special interest in the environment, tourism, agriculture and so on, and will use various methods in an attempt to influence policy on these issues. They may hold public meetings or meetings with interest groups; they may deal with the local media to raise awareness of their views and those they seek to represent; or they may lodge a proposition for debate in the States.
If a Member has personal outside interests in a particular area, such as they are a landlord or have a hospitality business, then they are required to declare this as a potential conflict of interest.
You could be appointed a Minister or Assistant Minister, which means you will work as part of the Government team and the Council of Ministers. Or, you can become a member or Chair of a Scrutiny panel. Scrutiny holds the Government of Jersey to account, and reviews the policies and legislation put forward by Ministers, on behalf of the public.
You do not have to be in Government to be able to create your own propositions. These are to bring in either new or amended laws, and these will be debated by the States Assembly.
As an elected Member, you may be required to travel to other countries in order to represent Jersey in talks, international co-operation meetings, and to ensure that Jersey’s best interests are being heard outside the Island.
Some Deputies and Constables are involved in The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association which is an opportunity for Jersey to showcase its parliamentary democracy and to learn from other jurisdictions around the world.
As we approach the nomination time for our next elections in 2026, we will be arranging informal sessions where prospective candidates can talk to existing States members about their work.
