Former politician among Jurat nominees

Wednesday 20 February 2019

The former constable of St. Martin has been listed among the five candidates nominated for a position described as one of the highest and most prestigious offices to which an islander can aspire.

Ex-politician Michel Le Troquer has been put forward for the position of Jurat alongside Mary O'Keeffe, Steven Austin-Vautier, Joanne Averty and David Robinson, as the Royal Court looks to replace Jurats Paul Nicolle and Geoffrey Grime, who are both due to retire soon.

The Electoral College will meet on 25 February. Current Jurats, States Members, members of the Jersey Bar and solicitors will all get to cast their vote on who should take on the role in a secret ballot.

The Bailiff will not vote unless two candidates end up with equally the fewest votes. Otherwise, he will be tasked with examining the voting papers following each ballot and declare the result of each ballot in front of the College and the public present.

Pictured: Paul Nicolle is one of two Jurats retiring this year.

Michel Le Troquer, who was St. Martin's Constable from 2011 until he stepped down last year, is one of the five names put forward for the election.

During his time in the States, he was a member of the Comité des Connétables, the Domestic Property Transactions Review Panel, the Jersey Overseas Aid Commission and the States Employment Board.

Pictured: Steven Austin-Vautier.

Steven Austin-Vautier, the former Chief Officer of Home Affairs, is also among the nominees, along with David Robinson. 

Two female candidates have also been put forward for the election, former St. Saviour Centenier, Mary O'Keeffe, who stood in the election as Deputy for St. Saviour District 3 but eventually lost out to Deputy Jess Perchard, and Joanne Averty.

Pictured: Former St. Saviour Centenier, Mary O'Keefe.

The Jurats' bench achieved gender equality only last year when former member of the Royal Air Force, Elizabeth Ann Dulake (60), was sworn in to take over from Mike Liston.

Jurat Collette Crill celebrated the milestone in a speech before the Royal Court last week, when she was sworn in as Lieutenant Bailiff, along with Jurat Antony Olsen.

She said that when she became a Jurat in 2011, she was only the eighth woman to take on the role and only one in three women on the bench. 

She went on to say she had been pleased to see the balance between men and women “drastically” change since then and to see women and men sit in equal numbers.

Jurat Crill also shared hopes that the Jurat bench continue to "reflect our ever more diverse society" and encouraged female lawyers to stand for Crown offices.