Women take the lead on Jurat bench with new recruit

Monday 25 February 2019

A new female Jurat was elected this morning, bringing the number of women to seven and marking the first time women sit in greater numbers on the bench - although it might be short-lived.

Kim Averty, a Chartered Accountant, was elected by the Electoral College with 57 out of 99 votes, along with former Chief Officer of Home Affairs Steven Austin-Vautier, who received 56 votes, and will be sworn in on 4 March.

The Electoral College – made up of current Jurats, States Members, members of the Jersey Bar and solicitors – assembled for the election to replace Jurats Paul Nicolle and Geoffrey Grime. Each proposer and seconder got to address the College to convince them to vote for their respective candidate.

Votes were then cast in a secret ballot, before being counted by the Bailiff, the Deputy Bailiff, the Deputy Viscount and the Royal Court Greffier.

Pictured: Steven Austin-Vautier served in the Civil Service for 22 years.

Mr Austin-Vautier, who will fill the vacancy left by Jurat Paul Nicolle, was the first to be elected after three ballots, when he finally achieved over half of the votes - the minimum required to elect a Jurat. 

Mr Austin-Vautier spent 18 years in the Royal Air Force before joining Jersey Civil Service in 1993. Since his retirement four years ago, he has been involved on a honorary basis with the States Risk and Audit Committee. 

Advocate Steve Meiklejohn, Mr Austin-Vautier’s proposer, said he had first met him over 25 years ago when he became the Magistrate’s Court Greffier. Advocate Meiklejohn described Mr Austin Vautier as a calm authority, and said he was honoured to propose him to the position of Jurat.

Senator Lyndon Farnham, who seconded the nomination, said Mr Austin-Vautier would uphold the dignity of the office, saying he was "honest, intelligent and good to have on your side in a difficult situation".

Pictured: Mrs Averty, who was elected to one of the two positions, volunteers at Jersey Cheshire Home.

Mrs Averty was elected after just one ballot, to replace Jurat Geoffrey Grime. Her nomination had been proposed by Advocate Nuno Santos-Costa, who said he had first met her over 30 years ago. He said he believed she would make a great Jurat and praised her for her "intelligence, compassion, common sense, sense of justice and understanding".

Born in 1959, Mrs Averty qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1982. She then went on to work until 1998 when she retired due to family commitments. Since then, Mrs Averty has worked with local charities, helping set up the New Jersey Alzheimer's Association as well as volunteering for local schools and Jersey Cheshire Home. She has also been sitting on the Mental Health Review Tribunal since 2014.

Constable Len Norman, who seconded Mrs Averty's nomination, said she was an "outstanding candidate," who is highly intelligent and has common sense. He told the Electoral College that Mrs Averty's "heart was in the right place and she had "the stuff of which Jurats should be made of."

Former Constable of St. Martin Michel Le Troquer, Mary O'Keeffe and David Robinson had also been nominated for the position of Jurat.

Pictured: Lieutenant Bailiff Paul Nicolle - one of the Jurats retiring this year.

Mrs Averty's election brings the number of women on the Jurats bench to seven out of 12, marking the first time there are more women than men sitting.

The milestone comes on the heels of another one achieved just last year when Jurat Elizabeth Dulake was sworn-in: equal numbers of women and men among Jurats.

This might only be short-lived, however. Although Mrs Averty and Mr Austin-Vautier are due to be sworn-in on 4 March, Jurat Sally Sparrow will retire just two days later, and her replacement could bring back equality of numbers on the bench.