THE BAILIFF: A ROLE SYNONYMOUS WITH THE CORRUPTION OF ‘THE JERSEY WAY’

It really should come as little surprise to learn that ‘Sir’ Philip Bailhache has awoken from his political slumber following the debacle of his sabotaging of the reform referendum to now try to do the same with the latest moves to put an end to the non-ECHR compliant anachronism of the role of Bailiff. Bailhache’s whole career after all – through both his time as Attorney General, Bailiff and now as a Senator has, in my opinion, been marked by his utter contempt for justice and democracy.

Like his brother William his name is now synonymous to an ever-creasing number of people with child protection failures and the application of ‘law’ only according to who a person is. Indeed, at a time when generations of Establishment cronyism and corruption to ensure our Island was run as a private club to benefit the rich and powerful at the expense of the wider community is finally in sight of its Endgame simply due to the Party having run out of credible ‘big hitters’ to run the show Bailhache is the last desperate throw of the dice as I observed back in 2011.

Yes the political Left has failed over these long years to put aside what have generally been inconsequential differences of political priority to put together a strategy to outflank the endemic corruption of the ‘Jersey Way’. Just as the wider community who have become second class citizens under the ‘Jersey Way’ and its appeasement of Finance at all costs have failed to rise above the culture of fear; the apathy of moans and non-political participation to do the same. 

Yet the reality is the Establishment Party is finally facing its first glimpses of its nemesis because of things even its corruption and bullying cannot control: time and the reality that in a shrinking media world the anachronisms which have helped maintain its power can no longer be talked away with smarm and a dry sherry.

So now we see The Man Who Would Be King – surely King Philip the First and Last - desperately tilting at windmills to sustain the ‘Jersey Way’ and all it allows a little longer by attempting to defend the indefensible position of the Bailiff. A role let us not forget that has absolutely no mandate from the public. A role that allows an unelected judge to control what those who have faced and won election to the States Chamber via the public can say or put forward as policy proposals.

Hells bells - a role that allows these unelected judges – and as the recent past as shown us so dramatically not even ones who uphold justice for all as per their Oath – to strut about in ridiculous red cloak and gilded bog chains as the Island’s ‘First Citizen’ assuming the position afforded some kind of President!

And yet Philip Bailhache wants to keep the anachronism in place. Of course his aforesaid brother, William has already been announced as the next Bailiff - even before the vote set for later this month! But the key reasons why really do not any longer even need to be spelt out. Its removal will be the final cutting away of the critical first leg of the three-legged Establishment Party stool upon which the fat, bloated backside of the ‘Jersey Way’ squats. Once gone the final and long-overdue fall to earth will follow as inevitably as night-time follows day.

Yet to distract from this Philip Bailhache instead waffles via the State media about the importance of maintaining ‘tradition’! Really, Sir Philip? Leaking through the heady aroma of a nice Chateau-Neuf-du-Pape in the luxury of the Atlantic Hotel perhaps do not even you detect just the faintest whiff of sickening hypocrisy in the air? Perhaps then I should give you a little clue: Jersey's link to the Diocese of Winchester. Wasn’t that built around 500 years of ‘tradition’ – yet you threw it away without a thought in your desperation to dodge the holding to account of yet another member of the Establishment Party – the Dean - who had also failed to act on abuse.

Really, Sir Philip have you learnt nothing in your overbearing arrogance since as Attorney General you allowed the convicted paedophile Roger Holland to remain in the Honorary Police setting in motion a reign of abuse on young girls?

Have you learnt nothing since - as Bailiff - you illegally banned an elected Member of the States, former Senator Stuart Syvret from taking up his seat in the States for six months?

Have you learnt nothing since as Bailiff and Chairman of Victoria College you happily allowed a Vice-Principle – John Lyndon Le Breton - with a proven history of disregarding evidence against yet another predatory paedophile, Andrew Jervis-Dykes to be rewarded with a job as a Jurat ‘administering justice’ in your own Royal Court?

Indeed, have you learnt nothing since your grotesque and disgusting Liberation Day speech where you claimed global media reporting was the ‘real scandal’ above the appalling suffering of the victims of Haut de la Garenne which your generation of power holders had allowed to come about?

No, Sir Philip, quite clearly you have not. Or perhaps the truth is that you simply revel in all of this because all that matters is trying to prop up the ‘Jersey Way’ and ensure the Establishment Party hangs on to power a few more years no matter what? Either way the bottom line is that although I believe the craven deference afforded you by so many of the poodles currently passing themselves off as politicians will ensure you win the vote on the Constable of St. Helier’s re-working of Shona Pitman’s proposition to replace the Bailiff ultimately you will fail.

Indeed, if I may paraphrase a favourite rock song ‘This isn’t the end – but at least we can see it from here’. Justice eventually comes to all. Even in the tiny Neo-Feudal State of Establishment Jersey. Sleep well…

Keep the Faith

THE HYPOCRISY OF THE JEP - ATTEMPT TO GAG US ON REVEALING THE FAILINGS OF PAEDOPHILE PROTECTING JURAT AT THE CENTRE OF OUR APPEAL!

They say that a week is a long time in politics. Yet what a difference a week appears to make to the selective memories of those behind Jersey's Establishment mouthpiece the Jersey Evening Post! After all, it was only a few short days ago that we had had to seek a costly temporary injunction due to the newspaper's plans to again smear us by falsely linking Shona and myself with the now infamous bogus 'threatening letter' scam.

 

Of course, even though new editor-designate Andy Sibcy had to back down on this quite heinous lie as a consequence of the judges' words the Main Stream Media still ran a story that gave a wholly misleading and deliberately negative spin on the truth to the Jersey public.

 

Indeed, not only were we falsely accused by the JEP of trying to stifle 'free speech' because we had stood up to these threats of yet another smear; but being fully aware of the truth due to the presence of their journalist Leah Ferguson at the injunction hearing, Channel Television (ITV) still told their viewers that the bogus letter 'threat' was linked to us!  Incidentally, the Director, Karen Rankine is, of course, very good friends of a number of Establishment Ministers, though we are sure this has nothing whatsoever to do with her company refusing to tell their viewers the truth.

 

OK so such behaviour by the Island's MSM is no surprise to anyone who follows local politics closely. Indeed, it is a prime reason why more and more local people are abandoning them for Citizens' Media blogs who tell people the truths the Establishment want covered up.

 

Nevertheless, given that all of this revolves around a court case which the Establishment hope to manipulate to force us out of politics because we refuse to be silenced on matters such as child abuse and judicial corruption; if the MSM really wish to protest their impartiality and fairness then I wonder how they will now report this? 

 

The JEP want to prevent you the public from knowing the truth about a Jurat happy to look the other way on evidence of the most serious nature!

 

Yes indeed, the Jersey Evening Post being a veritable bastion of truth seekers (or so you would imagine after last week's sermonising) have just attempted via their lawyers - in a submission to the Appeal Court judges actually kept secret from us in clear contempt for legal protocol - to prevent the damning evidence against Jurat John Le Breton contained within the Sharp Report from being made available to the Appeal Court in our application to be heard in the week of November 25th.

 

Evidence that would then become available to you and thus allow the public to finally know what the appeal is truly about. Evidence that shows beyond any shadow of a doubt that ANY court in which John Le Breton sat could never be regarded as safe let alone Article 6 European Convention on Human Rights compliant. Why?

 

Because this independent and long-suppressed report reveals a man who was allowed to be put forward - and consequently sit - as a Jurat for 14 years even though it was known by the those at the apex of the Jersey judiciary that he could not be relied upon to fulfil the one sacred duty at the very core of a Jurat's role:

 

TO FULLY CONSIDER ALL OF THE EVIDENCE BEFORE REACHING A DECISION ON FACT!

 

Indeed, regardless of all the other overwhelming evidence in support of our contention that the findings of Jurat John Le Breton and his inexperienced colleague Sylvia Milner were without merit, the evidence laid out about Le Breton's failings within the Sharp Report render the whole court process untenable in itself. Yet guess what? Those pillars of justice and transparency at the Jersey Evening Post have secretly attempted to argue through their lawyers that Le Breton's openness to 'looking the other way' on evidence against certain parties - no matter how serious - are...'irrelevant'!

 

No - you didn't read that wrong. 'IRRELEVANT'!

 

So (and I make no apologies for repeating any of this again) let's just have a quick re-cap on just what the Sharp Report reveals about the cover-up of the sickening child abuse of Andrew Jervis-Dykes at Victoria College; and what his friend and colleague, John Le Breton did and didn't do in response. Indeed, a re-cap on what the Jersey Evening Post and its lawyers do not want the court to be able to consider nor you to even know should it damage their hopes of benefiting from the original court's failings....

 

Over a period of many years Jervis-Dykes manipulated off-island boat trips where Jervis-Dykes would ensure he was the only adult member of staff. The College knew about this but did nothing. The consequence? Jervis-Dykes was free to ply young boys with large amounts of alcohol in order that he could then wait until darkness and sexually abuse them. His speciality was both masturbating and performing forced oral sex on children. He even liked to video this abuse!

 

What did John Le Breton do, when all of this sickening abuse over many years finally began to hit the buffers after years of the College deliberately keeping a lid on the events?

 

As far back as in 1992 Sharp reveals, along with the College Headmaster, he is seen to have been quite willing to flout all child protection guidelines in not contacting the Police and Education/Children's Service authorities following complaints from two pupils of abuse. Instead, participating in what can only be described as a humiliating and wholly inappropriate ad-hoc 'internal inquiry'. And this was not the only failing by a long way. 

 

 

Yet now, faced with the abuse finally about to become public, even when asked by the Headmaster to examine video evidence against his friend and colleague, John Le Breton instead refused to look at the evidence. Yes - he REFUSED! Even worse perhaps he incredibly then even went on to argue in the paedophile's defence. His argument in support of the paedophile included truly incredible contentions that:

 

• 'he had served the College in an outstandingly competent and conscientious way'
 
• 'that there may be no case to answer'
 
• that if Jervis-Dykes had to resign he should be allowed to do so  'with some dignity'
 
• that without a Police prosecution any resignation could be seen as a consequence of 'an unsubstantiated allegation.'
 
• that even if Jervis-Dykes had to resign he should be allowed to continue teaching pupils as Head of Maths as this 'would not place anyone at risk'
 

Yet the JEP and their lawyers want all of this to be seen as 'irrelevant' and kept out of both the court's considerations and public knowledge

 

All whilst they continue to seek to force us out of politics and financially ruin us. For let readers be in no doubt of the duplicity here. Whilst spouting nonsense about such failures within the judicial process being 'irrelevant', the JEP through their lawyers Collas Crill have already sought a Viscounts order to seize our possessions. We will also of course be forced from our home - and perhaps most central to the motivation behind all of this - consequently forced out of being able to represent our constituents by losing our seats under the States of Jersey (2005) law.  All of this in the event of losing our Appeal as a consequence of this travesty.

 

Oh yes, the hypocrisy of the Jersey Evening Post in regard to attempting to both stifle 'free speech' and keeping crucial evidence from both court and the Island's people appear to know neither shame nor limit. Remember analysing evidence is at the very heart of what a Jurat is entrusted by the court to do. It cannot be said to be 'irrelevant' under any circumstance.

 

It is what the public - and most certainly those directly involved in any court process - MUST be able to entrust a Jurat to do. Yet for Jurat John Le Breton as we can see - and it really does not matter at all whether through misguided loyalties; incompetence or simple lack of integrity - this fundamental commitment to evidence clearly is not there.

 

I thus put it to readers of the Bald Truth Jersey bluntly. When one considers this claim of 'irrelevance' from the Island's only newspaper; and indeed, the possibility that a court would let the findings of such a deeply unreliable individual stand, does anyone really wonder why decade upon decade of institutional child abuse has been allowed to go on unchecked?

 

For perhaps a very good 'snapshot judgement' upon whether anything within the now infamous so-called 'Jersey Way' that allowed all of the child abuse to happen down the years has changed, will simply be to see how many of our MSM (Mainstream Media) now report this attempt at stifling the truth and evidence I reveal and do so fairly. I for one must say I will not be holding my breath.

 

Keep the Faith

 

 

TRANSMISSIONS FROM THE TWILIGHT ZONE OF JERSEY DEMOCRACY

 

 

Harking back to the early days of this blog I publish below a handful of updates on recent happenings within the tiny Neo-Feudal State on Britain's doorstep. A fairly long read perhaps but 4 separate stories with facts you certainly won't see in the Jersey mainstream media...

 

ESC and the strange case of the Starting Pistol 'incident'...

 

Following on from a suppressed story I broke a few weeks ago it has been confirmed that a teacher has now been charged over this incident. An incident that revolved around the said pistol being discharged in the school sports hall and injuring - though thankfully not seriously - a male pupil's eyes. The judicial aspect to this case must now be allowed to run its course through the courts. 

 

However, the alleged serious failings within standard ESC policy in the light of such incidents must also be addressed over the summer as a matter of urgency. This must culminate whatever the findings - and let us hope that it proves a situation retrievable for all involved - in a statement being made to the States Assembly by the ESC Minister. Why?

 

99% of teachers do a great job

 

In first stating for the record that, though highlighting the very serious concerns alleged to me by the mother of the injured pupil i.e. his allegedly not being taken to hospital by staff; his being kept on the premises until the end of the day; the correct ESC reporting procedures not being adhered to; and lastly - the claim that no one at the school ever contacted the mother herself, this is NOT in any way an attack by me on the teaching profession generally.

 

I have always supported the teaching profession and will continue to do so. 99% of teachers do an often thankless and damned good job. However, when I come across things that are not as they should be - such as in the suspension policy review I chaired for Scrutiny - I will highlight these.

 

It is perhaps stating the obvious but with a record like ESC and other childrens' services have come to be lumbered with thanks to a number of figures 'at the top' (departmentally and politically)following the HDLG scandal - not to mention instances of decent, ordinary Jersey parents being hit with appalling 'gagging' orders simply for standing up to be counted when their children have been victimised - that ESC still has a long way to go to prove it is wholly committed to both transparency and accountability.  Unfair on so many this undoubtedly is - but there you go.

 

The Bald Truth behind Option B and its leading lights' attitude to democracy...

 

With Special Agent the 'B Team Bug' recently joining the Ministerial Mole in my growing squad of Establishment Party infiltrators I can now reveal a very telling incident which took place at a meeting of the gang just prior to the recent States debate on Senator Bailhache's hijacked Electoral Commission referendum.

 

During the meeting, or so the 'Bug' tells the story, it came to be argued by a minority of the B Team's foot-soldiers that the proposals would never get through the States unless it was tweaked to actually provide some fairness in representation to the third of the population living in St. Helier. Fairness of the sort being proposed by both I and Deputy Andrew Green. Yet what happened next? Apparently the minority were turned upon and ridiculed by B Team Grandees such as former Senator Horsfall.

 

What is the former Senator really after?

 

Now I'm sure you'll remember the ex-Senator - he was a key figure in the move to risk Jersey putting all of our economic eggs into the one basket of the Finance industry. He was also a prime saboteur of the Clothier proposals he was meant to champion. He also just happened to have started out as an Option A supporter this time - even telling the Electoral Commission (in my presence) that the Constables had to go in the interests of democracy!

 

The bottom line in all of this? Don't be fooled by the bleating voices of politicians like Deputy Sean Power: most of the key drivers behind Option B are interested only in cementing total control of the States via ensuring massive over-representation for the smaller country parishes. For true democracy they care not as their actions reveal.

 

A brave man reduced to throwing himself on his knees in the Royal Square to plead for help against the 'justixce' system meant to help him...

 

Can anyone imagine that they would lightly take the decision to throw themselves down on their knees in Jersey's Royal Square to plead for assistance? No - i can't either. yet this was what one brave man, Mr Sam Canon felt he had no choice but to try just before last Tuesday's States Sitting.

 

Now the intricacies of Sam's case will be unfolded on the Voiceforchildren blog and possibly here two over coming weeks. But until such time let me just say that I took up Sam's case - one of an ever-growing number - because not only has he had to suffer wrongly for years; his case also has elements of just about every corruption and failing you could hope to (or actually would hope NOT to) find in a so-called justice system.

 

'Reporters' who apparently don't want stories

 

The Jersey mainstream media were all advised of what was going to happen. It should have undoubtedly have made a great, if deeply worrying news story. Yet guess what? Only reporters from the local ITV bothered to turn up to record it. Do they seriously wander why so many feel the Jersey Establishment and the media go hand-in-hand in keeping injustice out of the headlines? Fortunately, the excellent Team Voice was there to record the event; and I believe a further full length interview with this brave man will be available shortly.

 

And finally - the latest in the shameful saga of Le Breton-gate...

 

This week the Bailiff once again blocked a perfectly legitimate personal statement which I had sought to make. This having been found 'guilty' by the now defunct Simon Crowcroft led PPC for allegedly breaching the code on e-mail communications by asking for opinions on Public Sector pay negotiations and any justice system problems.

 

Now leaving aside the very telling fact that out of thousands of recipients the only complaints about my 'breach' were from none other than Chief Minister Gorst and one of his own pen pushers (I actually had 30 times the number of contacts of either expressed support or new information!) the aspect I want to focus on here is in regard to what it confirms yet again about the ease by which justice in Jersey can be manipulated and even abused.

 

That a politician can even be questioned over asking States employees to contact him if they have any points or concerns to raise on pay negotiations really says all that needs to be said. Yet when it comes to 'justice' what we saw here was an example of why the so-called 'dual role' of the Bailiff has to go.

 

This anachronism has no place in a 21st century democracy

 

Just as with Shona's blocked statement back in April; once again faced with a statement that highlighted concisely how he had, through his own office, allowed an impossibly conflicted jurat to sit on our defamation case, the Bailiff took off his 'hat' as the criticised Head of the Judiciary and put on his other 'hat' as Head of the Legislature to block the statement and thus prevent the criticism!

 

Not just this, of course, but also the wholly fair and warranted criticism that the Bailiff's Office had allowed - for a staggering 14 years* - a man who was happy to refuse to consider evidence against a sickening paedophile to sit in judgement of countless other cases. Cases where the said jurat, John Le Breton's ONLY responsibility was to examine and weigh up evidence before reaching a decision based on this!

 

I ask readers: is it really any wonder that an ever growing number of Jersey people - decent, ordinary people like we ourselves - are now coming forward (just take a look at Voiceforchildren's compilation of just a few of them) feeling that Jersey's 'justice' system is nothing more than a vehicle for oppression?

 

Sour grapes? Hardly - everyone should be entitled to justice. And in our own case Jurat John Le Breton has been caught bang-to-rights no matter how much he might try and wriggle. Indeed, it would actually be almost funny were it not so serious to read his excuses as quoted in a letter to us from the Deputy Bailiff.

 

If you made these excuses up people would laugh

 

He has to admit here that he has socialised with a director of the paper's owning company - even at each others homes - on a number of occasions just in recent years. He even wonderfully tells us that he contends 'there was no SIGNIFICANT relationship prior to his becoming a jurat'! No I am not making this admission up - i honestly doubt I have the imagination. Then, of course, there is the further fact that the jurat's social relationship actually goes back a whole lot longer - back at least to when he and the director's spouse were both teachers at Victoria College where Jervis-Dykes carried out his sickening abuse.

 

Yet will the powers that be now seek to prevent our wholly warranted application to appeal against this travesty of justice? Well, we already know the lawyers for the newspaper and their clients are desperate not to see it happen.

 

Strasbourg really maybe the ultimate answer

 

Of course, that it really shouldn't need a European Court of Human Rights to put this miscarriage of justice right is undeniable - at least to anyone who genuinely believes in justice for all. Yet maybe ultimately washing Jersey's self-soiled linen in full view of an international audience is what it will take to wake the UK justice Ministry from its slumber and make those who allowed these travesties to happen finally get their house in order?

 

Keep the Faith. If we can you can.

 

*PS

 

NMM. It really was 14 years!

 

 

 

 

 

 



JERSEY CORRUPTION: UK GOVERNMENT FAILS CONSTITUTIONAL OBLIGATIONS ON 'GOOD GOVERNANCE'

 

 Where else but Jersey would an individual happy to look the other way on evidence against a predatory paedophile then be allowed to sit as a Jurat (lay judge) for 14 years?

Introduction to a betrayal

I publish below for readers a press release from Deputy Shona Pitman and myself. That we have reluctantly taken this step is due to the frightening reality that our island's 'justice' system has become a tool of oppression rather than arbiter of fairness and protection for all ordinary citizens.

The fact is that complaints alleging corruption being brought to a number of politicians can now simply no longer be ignored. The reported abuses are as diverse as the members of the public bringing them to us. Indeed, three of we 'backbenchers' are currently collating these for forthcoming action. Just as with our own experiences of Jersey 'justice' outlined below the facts presented are deeply disturbing.

Justice should not depend on wealth and influence. It should not only be consistent but should be guaranteed for all. Yet in Jersey today the  truth is that it is not.

For example, where else would you see the blatant double standards and abuse of process that saw the Bailiff's Office ruling that neither he, Michael Birt nor Deputy Bailiff, William Bailhache could sit on our case due to our political 'relationship' - yet simultaneously allow a Jurat who is a personal friend of a director of a powerful defendant, the owners of the Jersey Evening Post, to do just this? The appalling conflict of interest is clear to all. Yet the Bailiff and his Deputy seek to play this down. Why?

Incompetence? Negligence? Corruption? If two public figures with a comparative platform to protest can be abused in this way then what hope is there, we ask, for the vulnerable victims of decades of child abuse within States institutions? It is time that the UK government fulfilled its obligations and intervened to restore 'justice and good governance'.

Sadly, even with the added voice of other appalled States Members writing in our support thus far it has not. This situation cannot be allowed to continue. In the coming days we will be publishing a number of letters and documents relating to our own case. In the meantime please take a few minutes to watch the above video interview: the true cost of 21st Century 'Jersey justice'.

For the record it should also be noted here that in a move reminiscent of their post WW11 refusal to allow the Jersey Democratic Movement to advertise its manifesto for democratic reform, our island's only newspaper again refused to allow us to publicise our side of what is a deeply disturbing story of an abuse of justice. Just as they have done since the case. Why ever could that be, we ask?

PRESS RELEASE

Two Members of Jersey’s Parliament have today called for the UK government – which has overall responsibility to ensure ‘good governance’ in the Channel Islands - to urgently investigate what they describe as the ‘spiralling evidence of the wide-spread breakdown of law within the island’s justice system.’

Child Abuse Scandal

The Deputies say that ‘justice in the island’ (which came under the global spotlight with the unfolding of the ‘institutional’ child abuse scandal in 2008) ‘is being betrayed by a mixture of top level incompetence, corruption and intimidation. Much of this being a direct reaction from those in the island’s Establishment desperate to bury any dissenting opposition to getting to the truth about decades of child abuse cover-ups.’

‘Far from ensuring justice for the people of Jersey our Law Office has become the tool of choice for the clique at the apex of power to try to silence and, if necessary, drive from office or ruin those who dare challenge the established order; or persist in fighting the cause of the ever-growing number of people coming forward to complain of corruption; whether relating to child abuse or abuse of the legal process.’

This has already seen the former Chief of Police (the initiating officer of the child abuse investigations), Mr. Graham Power QPM forced from office by an illegal suspension that failed to result in any disciplinary charges. It has also seen a former Health Minister, at the centre of revelations about the abuse, ousted; and currently being silenced by a blatant misuse of the Data Protection Law within ‘top secret’ Royal Court hearings – all being paid for out of the tax coffers. Files and records relating to children abused within the Jersey care system have conveniently ‘gone missing’ from within both the Police system and government departments. Evidenced cases against abusers have inexplicably not been pursued by the island’s Law Office.

Banning of US Journalist

This manipulation of justice has even seen the contrived banning of a respected US journalist, Leah McGrath Goodman, from the island once it became apparent she was researching child abuse cover-ups and the island links to Jimmy Savile. A ban only lifted following the intervention of UK MP John Hemming and an international petition campaign initiated by Deputy Trevor Pitman himself.  Trevor Pitman states that along with two other political ‘backbench’ colleagues the number of complaints alleging corruption received from members of the public has reached deeply disturbing proportions in recent months.

Legal System - Corruption

These complaints have included alleged tampering with court transcripts; destruction of and refusal to look at evidence; inconsistency in sentencing; and even perjury and collusion between lawyers. The recently leaked 'Barton Report' of a disciplinary hearing involving police at the centre of the illegal bugging allegations in the ‘Drug Baron’ Curtis Warren case even revealed claims of falsified and unsigned statements being presented instead of original documents.

Yet the Deputies say the cold, hard evidence of the justice system being in desperate need of external investigation; and the depth of the obstacles facing victims of the cover-ups was only brought home to them after they pursued the island’s only, and hugely influential, pro-establishment newspaper, the Jersey Evening Post to court for defamation along with one of its millionaire clients. The newspaper and its estate agent client Broadlands had mocked the couple after Trevor Pitman’s election, falsely claiming they had increased their salary four-fold by entering politics when in reality they had taken a drop in income of thousands.

Jurat Supports Paedophile in Previous Job as Vice-Principle

‘It was shocking enough given the evidence that we then found ourselves losing the case,’ say the Deputies; ‘we subsequently then discovered that the Senior Jurat (lay judge) John Le Breton had been allowed by the Bailiff’s Office to sit in judgement of the case even though he was a personal friend of the newspaper’s longest-serving Director; the two regularly socialising together and even going to dinner at each other’s home. All of this being evidenced’.

An even bigger shock for the Deputies was the subsequent leaking of a government suppressed report (the 1999 Sharp Report) into another horrific child abuse scandal at the island’s Victoria College (an exclusive ‘fee-paying’ secondary school).  The report revealed that John Le Breton, as Vice Principle had refused to look at evidence against a friend and colleague, the predatory paedophile, Andrew Jervis-Dykes. 

He instead wrote in support of him claiming amongst other things that: Jervis-Dykes had served the College in an ‘outstandingly competent and conscientious way’; that unless police decided to prosecute, the abuse would be seen as ‘an unsubstantiated allegation’. Le Breton even appealed for the paedophile to be allowed to stay on at the school and if he had to resign be allowed to do so with ‘some dignity’. Incredibly Le Breton was put forward for the Jurat role by a politician who was both on the College’s Board of Governors at the time and a former president of the government’s Education Committee!’

The Deputies add, ‘when you bring this to the attention of the Chief Minister, Bailiff (Head of Judiciary and Legislature) and Deputy Bailiff, where both Crown Officers just happen to also be friends of the Jurat in question - you are told: ‘if you don’t like it – appeal’.  The Crown Officers know full well, that the above information not only came to light after our case and has implications far beyond this alone; but that it would necessitate at least another £30,000: monies that most ordinary people do not have.

Jurat Le Breton was allowed to sit by two successive Bailiff’s for a period of 14 years – including sitting on some child abuse cases until retiring just after the Pitman’s’ case. ‘This demonstrates just how unfit for purpose Jersey’s system of election and monitoring of Jurats is’, says Deputy Shona Pitman, adding ‘how in the 21^st Century can Jurats be elected in secret by only politicians and lawyers – many of whom will regularly be friends of those proposed?’

UK Justice Minister fails obligations of good governance

Yet even with the backing of around a dozen equally appalled fellow politicians and prominent justice campaigners, the Deputies say that the injustice they have been dealt is as yet failing to be adequately dealt with as it should by the UK justice Ministry. ‘The evidence in our case is overwhelming,’ say the Deputies, ‘just as it is in many other cases. Yet even when presented with all of the details (as outlined above) and letters of support from other concerned public figures, the excuse from Lord McNally has been that as “Jersey has its own justice system we can’t really interfere’’ (see enclosed correspondence).

‘Most absurd of all perhaps’, add the Deputies, ‘is that ‘the Justice Minister instead offers to ‘forward our concerns’ to the Bailiff – the very individual who has allowed all of this to happen! What this shows is the deeply troubling attitude to justice from those holding power within the justice system here and the UK Minister responsible for ‘good governance’ in a small and apparently ‘insignificant’ jurisdiction’.

‘At the bottom line’, conclude the Deputies, ‘if these failings are allowed to continue, if successive Bailiffs and other Crown Officers can allow an individual who refused to look at evidence against a predatory paedophile yet supported him – to sit as a Jurat for 14 years; including on subsequent cases of abuse what hope, we ask, have the victims of Jimmy Savile and the Haut de la Garenne child abuse scandal of getting justice here? What hope has any ordinary citizen who rocks the Establishment boat? The answer must be a resounding none. It is time the UK government stepped up to the plate and fulfilled its obligations. Should they not do so then it can only be concluded that Westminster must be complicit in all of this.’ Full story: www.thebaldtruthjerseyblogspot.com

For further information contact: Deputy Trevor Pitman 07797 824243/01534) 863436           Deputy Shona Pitman 07797 778561