Full public consultation is promised in justice review

The justice review was made a priority in the over-arching Government Work Plan, which means it has been given resources so that it can be properly drawn up.

Advocate Peter Harwood, the non-voting member on Home Affairs, has been appointed the new lead for justice policy, and the committee has pledged to ‘ramp up’ the work.

Advocate Harwood said the committee welcomed the commitment made by the Assembly to prioritise the project.

‘We are committed to tackling the many and complex issues that were highlighted in that review with the intention of implementing a justice policy that responds to the social justice needs of our community.

‘As politicians and members of States committees we must always ensure that we do not interfere or comment upon individual cases that are current, and which are properly the responsibility of the courts.

‘The separation of functions between the law makers, the prosecution authority and the judiciary is vital to the integrity of our system of justice.

‘The committee is however fully aware of concerns that have been raised by the media and members of the public on matters of justice and sentencing policy.’

An independent report, which was commissioned by the States and published two years ago, recommended that Guernsey’s justice policy should reduce the focus on punishment in favour of rehabilitation, relax the tough line on drugs, cut the prison population, and put more resources into tackling white collar crime.

The report questioned whether the island’s harshly punitive system was making the community safer, and whether too many people were being sent to jail for too long. The analysis also found an array of barriers which were restricting people’s lives after they had served their jail time, and that more needed to be done to break the cycle of ‘intergenerational crime’.

Home Affairs president Deputy Rob Prow said since the States had endorsed the justice review as a priority, it had rolled up sleeves and started the necessary processes.

‘Appointing Advocate Harwood as the lead for justice policy is just one of the steps we are taking.

‘This is of course a huge undertaking, which will need to be considered in the round, with full consultation with stakeholders and the public.

‘I would ask that, as a committee, we are given the time to complete this review thoroughly and properly, and we suggest no-one should pre-judge the outcome of the review.’

Drugs offences are just one aspect of the justice review, but this issue has dominated the public’s attention because of concerns from campaigners that current policy turns people into criminals as a result of the island’s tough stance.

Recent high profile court cases have compounded matters, but Home Affairs has stated that it cannot comment on individual cases because sentences ‘are a matter for the judiciary’ and the criminal justice system must operate without political interference.