Guernsey Press

Public asked for views on the island’s justice system

ISLANDERS are being invited to say what they think of Guernsey’s justice system as a review enters its final stages.

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Director of UK consultancy service Do It Justice, Gemma Buckland, who has been appointed to lead an independent review of Guernsey’s justice policy. (Picture by Sophie Rabey, 25809953)

The work has been carried out by Gemma Buckland, director of UK company Do It Justice, which she founded at the start of this year after working for the UK’s Justice Select Committee for 12 years as an advisor on prisons, probation and youth justice.

Do It Justice carries out research, advocacy and policy work, and in Guernsey Ms Buckland has focused on the interface between criminal justice policy and social policy.

The review began in April and is due to conclude at the end of November when a report will be given to Home Affairs, which is set to take the matter to the States early next year.

During her time with the Justice Select Committee Ms Buckland undertook three reviews which looked at the government’s responses to crime, but she said the local review was broader.

‘We’re looking at other justice issues, so not just the criminal justice system but also family justice, and more civil responses to things like domestic violence, and also financial crime. What we are looking at here is trying to understand how the system works and what the demands are that are placed on the system in terms of who’s coming in and what sorts of disposals they are getting.’

While prison is one way in which people are dealt with, that is at the extreme end and is also expensive. The review has borne in mind that there are finite resources, but also that crime is changing, so demands on the system are increasing.

‘We want to understand more about what the current demands are and what the future demands might be,’ said Ms Buckland.

During the first months of the review interviews were carried out with all of the island’s criminal justice agencies, the law officers, people in the youth justice system, Health & Social Care and Employment & Social Security.

Focus groups are due to be held with service users, such as victims, witnesses and people with experience of the system, as well as with head teachers and young people, to garner their views.

‘My role is to produce a road map for future justice policy,’ said Ms Buckland.

The consultation seeks to understand what islanders think of the different elements of justice and what the responses should be: ‘Is the system currently working well, or is there a better way potentially of doing things?

‘We know that people’s views about the justice system can be quite polarised so I am trying to test the extent to which they hold those views and the range of views that are held.’

Ms Buckland’s work is being supported by specialist crime and justice consultancy Crest Advisory.

  • The survey is open from today [18 September] and closes on Friday 25 October. It is available online, via gov.gg ‘Your Views’ and via the States of Guernsey social media pages. It is also available in paper format from parish constables’ offices, States offices including Frossard House and Beau Sejour, and on request via homeaffairs@gov.gg or by calling the Home Affairs office on 717353.