The Policy & Resources Committee is proposing that 20 of the items are made high priority for the next 12 months.
P&R oversees the States’ legislative programme and is required to direct priorities on an annual basis from the live list of drafting requirements agreed by the Assembly, ensuring that legal drafting resources are prioritised.
A report due to go before the States later this month updates the exercise last carried out in September 2024, which has stayed in place over the 2025 general election.
The priority list aligns with the new Government Work Plan.
‘It is not a precise science but does generally keep government’s drafting programme progressing effectively,’ said P&R.
‘Experience demonstrates that shorter items often progress effectively through the system while more significant, and often more complex draft legislation, such as the majority of those assigned high or medium priority, are with committees for review and further instruction as part of the iterative drafting process. The same principle also applies to items considered to be of low priority, which ensures a twin track of work progressing while fully utilising the legislative drafting resources of St James’ Chambers.’
P&R said it considered prioritisation to be a guide to committees to focus resources and was not necessarily related to an order of completion as there are other factors in play and other issues can quickly take priority.
Committees can request changes in prioritisation at any time.
The oldest outstanding item relates to the regulation of genetically modified crops and dates back to 2003. It has a low priority, with P&R saying the need and value of the legislation locally is ‘currently minimal’.
The oldest high priority issue is an ordinance to cover applications for parole and revocation and recall. A draft ordinance and regulations were sent to Home Affairs in November 2021 with a request for further instructions. The law officers say they are still awaiting a response.
Other items include legislation to equivalise local legislation with the UK over terrorist financing and money laundering from 2013. Home Affairs says that reputationally it considers this should be progressed as a high priority, but it has been made a medium priority.
In all 20 of the extant laws and regulations have been made a high priority, with 10 considered medium and eight low. Another 15 relatively recent States decisions have not yet been prioritised, including how to carry out a trial on decibel limits of noisy vehicles.
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