States Code of Conduct revision 'to build trust'

A revised Code of Conduct for the States Assembly has been proposed following a report found there was a lack of trust in the institution.

The 2024 Jersey Opinions and Lifestyle Survey Report found the States Assembly was "the least trusted institution in the island", the Privileges and Procedures Committee (PPC) said.

It said the revision followed a consultation period where members were asked to identify changes they would like to make to rules against which their behaviours were judged.

Chair of PPC Constable Karen Shenton Stone said the rules were "fundamental to building trust and respect in our Assembly".

She said: "Having an acknowledged set of rules by which we all abide hopefully demonstrates to the public that States Members are accountable, not just at election time."

The committee said a number of new rules, including how members should act when involved in a complaint to the Commissioner for Standards, their engagement on social media and definitions of what constitutes unwanted behaviour, harassment, bullying or discrimination were included in the revised code of conduct.

There were also updated rules on the declaration of interests to ensure greater transparency.

It said guidance notes had also been produced to accompany the new code and "provide greater clarity and explanation of the Rules for Members, staff and the public".

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