Douzaines are a vital part of democracy

And it’s fair to say that while these simultaneous parochial meetings held to appoint individuals to the various douzaines and sub-committees aren’t on everyone’s lips, they are nevertheless important for the smooth functioning of the island.

Rooted in the 10 ancient ecclesiastical parishes, they act as civil administration districts with various powers and responsibilities, and the larger ones in particular have to oversee the proper use and governance of substantial amounts of money and property.

More specifically, douzeniers are representatives of their parishioners and are responsible for the vision and direction of the parish as well as the transparency of its affairs. And that’s increasingly important now, given island-wide voting and the loss of ‘parish’ deputies.

The concerns expressed by Women in Public Life are valid because there is a need to make the douzaines more representative of the people they serve – and the States, perhaps counter-intuitively, has a role to play here.

Since April, when Policy and Resources announced it was keen to work more closely with the douzaines to help deliver the Government Work Plan, little has happened. The words have not been translated into action, despite enthusiasm from the parishes to roll up their sleeves and get involved.

This is an opportunity missed. And, in turn, that missed potential to enhance and expand the role of douzenier is perhaps another reason why islanders are not drawn to help with parochial affairs.

Strong douzaines are an essential element of Guernsey’s democratic process. As deputies get drawn into increasingly high-level areas, grassroots scrutiny of government is increasingly important.

In the absence of meaningful devolution to the parishes, an obvious conclusion is that while the States likes to say the right things, in practice it is very reluctant to release any actual power or control to anyone.