Former primary school head new Jurat

Thursday 28 July 2016

A woman who's spent almost forty years teaching primary school children has been sworn in as Jersey’s newest Jurat.

Sixty-year-old Pam Pitman began her teaching career at First Tower School in 1977 and then went on to St Luke’s, St Martin’s, St Mark’s and Trinity, before being appointed head teacher at St John’s in 2002, and then Grouville head in 2006.

She retired in December last year. On that occasion Education Minister Deputy Rod Bryans noted: “her passion for teaching is obvious as soon as you meet her or visit her school.”

Mrs Pitman takes over from Jurat Suzy Marett-Crosby who’s been in the post since December 2009.

A States website which explains the Island’s legal system says: “Jurats are elected to serve in the Royal Court and to decide questions of fact in court cases. They sit next to the judge and not only decide the facts in both civil and criminal trials; they also award damages and fines as well as determine sentences… [they also] act as Returning Officers for all public elections… [and] sit as members of the Licensing Assembly (granting liquor licences), Gambling Licensing Authority, Probation Committee, [and] Prison Board of Visitors”

To stand for Jurat you have to be a British citizen, over 40 years old, and be nominated and seconded by a member of the Electoral College. If there are more “candidates” than places an election is held. Only members of the Electoral College can vote – it consists of the Bailiff, Jurats, elected States members, and members of the Jersey Bar and Royal Court Solicitors. There are 12 Jurats.

Commenting on Mrs Pitman’s swearing in the Solicitor General, Mark Temple, noted that in ancient Greece all citizens were judges, and that in many ways the Jurats "echo Athenian democracy". In his words involving citizens in the judicial process has "stood the test of time."

Jurat Pitman told the court she was not the "retiring type" and was very much looking forward to the challenges her new post would present, but that she believed her background in teaching would stand her in good stead. She continues a family tradition of honorary service, her father, Arthur Queree, was Constable of St Ouen and later a Jurat himself.

It’s been a busy week for swearing-ins. On Tuesday Nigel Pleming QC was re-sworn in as a Court of Appeal judge. The Court of Appeal sits abouts six times a year and hears appeals from decisions of the Royal Court in both criminal and civil cases. The Court of Appeal consists of distinguished lawyers who are Judges or Queen’s Counsel (QCs).

Mr Pleming gained a law degree in 1969. He was called to the bar in 1971 and admitted to Silk (QC) in 1992. His roles, outside practice at the Bar, have included Vice Chairman of the Mental Health Act Commission, membership of the DH expert group to report on mental health law in England and Wales, and membership of the Nuffield Council on Bioethics – Working Party on the Genetics of Mental Health Disorders.