New Constable of St. John officially takes office

Friday 09 April 2021

The Lieutenant-Bailiff said he hopes problems faced by the parish of St. John will "pass into history" as Andy Jéhan officially became Constable of St. John today.

Mr Jéhan was elected unopposed as head of the parish last Wednesday. He stood following the resignation of Chris Taylor, who was told to stand down by the Royal Court after it found him “not fit for office”.

This followed a conviction for dangerous driving last year and his attempt to use parish funds to cover his legal expenses. 

Swearing Mr Jéhan in at a Royal Court session this morning, Lieutenant-Bailiff Anthony Olsen wished the new Constable well.

“We cannot ignore the problems that the parish has faced but we have every belief that it will thrive and prosper under your leadership and those problems will pass into history.

“We understood that you are a popular and well respected member of the community and the fact you were elected unopposed bears testament to that.”

Pictured: Mr Jéhan and his wife Judy after he was elected unopposed last week.

Speaking immediately after his appointment, Mr Jéhan said that, despite having parochial and commercial experience, he still had a lot to learn about the role.

“My focus will be on the parish and being a voice of the parish in the States,” he said. I also inherit a number of important projects, including the school playing field and the provision of affordable homes, that need to be developed.”

Mr Jéhan said he planned to set aside an hour after each parish assembly to be an open forum for parishioners to discuss parish and Island matters. 

This would be in addition to one-to-one surgeries. He added that St. John would embrace technology and set up social media pages straight away.

Asked about the recent problems in the parish, he said: “Politicians across the Island have work to do to build trust and confidence. It is up to everyone to engage with the public to earn their confidence.

And speaking specifically about his predecessor, he added: “Chris provided valuable service to his parish, he has provided a thorough handover and he sent me his warm wishes this morning. I couldn’t have asked for more.” 

Mr Jéhan has previously been a St. John Honorary Police officer and served as a Procurer for eight years. He worked for Jersey Post for 37 years, starting out as a telegram boy and ending his career as Operations Director.

In 2019, he joined Paul Davis Freight Services as Chief Executive Officer, but the firm collapsed last year as a result of the pandemic.

Mr Jéhan was chair of Jersey Business until he recently stepped down. He was a member of the Jersey 2015 Island Games organising committee and he is a former member of the Chamber of Commerce Executive Council and Chair of its Transport and Tourism committee.