JERSEY LAW COMMISSION CONSULTATION PAPER IMPROVING ADMINISTRATIVE REDRESS IN JERSEY JERSEY LAW COMMISSION CONSULTATION PAPER No. 1/2016/CP APRIL 2016 The Jersey Law Commission is an independent body appointed by the States Assembly to identify and examine aspects of Jersey law with a view to their development and reform. This includes in particular: the elimination of anomalies; the repeal of obsolete and unnecessary enactments; the reductions of the number of separate enactments; and generally the simplification and modernisation of the law. Members of the Law Commission serve on a part-time basis and are unremunerated. The current Law Commissioners are: Mr Clive Chaplin (chairman) Advocate Barbara Corbett Advocate Alan Binnington Ms Claire de Than Mr Malcolm Le Boutillier Professor Andrew Le Sueur (the Topic Commissioner and author of this report) Mr Jonathan Walker Published by the Jersey Law Commission in April 2016 This publication is available free of charge on the Jersey Law Commission website. Jersey Law Commission Law House 1 Seale Street St Helier Jersey JE2 3QG www.jerseylawcommission.org [email protected] Improving Administrative Redress Consultation Paper | CP 2016/1 page 2 CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 7 1.1. How to respond to this consultation ...................................................................................... 7 1.2. Administrative decision-making ........................................................................................... 7 1.3. Internal complaints procedures .............................................................................................. 8 1.4. External redress ................................................................................................................... 10 1.4.1. Tribunals ..................................................................................................................... 11 1.4.2. Appeals to Ministers ................................................................................................... 11 1.4.3. States of Jersey Complaints Panel .............................................................................. 11 1.4.4. A public services ombudsman for Jersey ................................................................... 11 1.4.5. The Royal Court ......................................................................................................... 12 1.4.6. Alternative Dispute Resolution ................................................................................... 12 1.5. A need for better data about administrative redress ............................................................ 12 1.6. What does a good administrative redress system look like? ............................................... 14 1.6.1. Presumption in favour of express redress procedure .................................................. 14 1.6.2. Constitutional principles ............................................................................................. 14 1.6.3. The simplicity principle .............................................................................................. 14 1.6.4. Principles of transparency and accountability ............................................................ 15 1.6.5. The proportionality principle ...................................................................................... 15 1.6.6. Good fit principle ........................................................................................................ 16 1.6.7. The ‘right first time’ goal ........................................................................................... 16 1.6.8. The user perspective principle .................................................................................... 16 1.7. The Jersey context ............................................................................................................... 17 1.8. Scope of the project ............................................................................................................. 18 1.9. Note on research methods ................................................................................................... 19 1.10. An expert advisory body? .................................................................................................... 20 2. TRIBUNALS ............................................................................................................................... 21 2.1. What is a tribunal? ............................................................................................................... 21 2.2. Tribunals in Jersey ............................................................................................................... 21 2.2.1. The current tribunals outlined ..................................................................................... 22 2.2.2. Other appellate bodies ................................................................................................ 24 2.2.3. Bodies called ‘tribunals’ that are not appellate bodies ............................................... 24 2.2.4. Unmet need: missing rights of appeal to a tribunal .................................................... 25 2.3. Lesson learning from other jurisdictions ............................................................................. 25 2.4. Proposal to create a Jersey Administrative Appeals Tribunal (JAAT) ............................... 26 2.4.1. Transfer of jurisdictions .............................................................................................. 27 2.4.2. Transitional arrangements .......................................................................................... 28 2.4.3. Preserving expertise in a tribunal with broad jurisdiction .......................................... 28 2.5. Proposal for a President of JAAT ........................................................................................ 28 2.6. Appointment of tribunal members ....................................................................................... 29 2.7. Eligibility conditions for appointment: nationality and residence ...................................... 30 2.8. Eligibility conditions for appointment as a legal member of JAAT ................................... 31 2.9. The role of lay members ...................................................................................................... 32 2.9.1. Role and value of lay members .................................................................................. 32 2.9.2. Appeals by unsuccessful applicants ............................................................................ 33 2.9.3. Diversity of lay members ............................................................................................ 33 2.10. Terms of office .................................................................................................................... 35 2.11. Removal from office ............................................................................................................ 35 2.12. Remuneration of members .................................................................................................. 36 2.13. Training ............................................................................................................................... 37 2.14. Resources and administrative support ................................................................................. 37 2.15. Premises ............................................................................................................................... 38 Improving Administrative Redress Consultation Paper | CP 2016/1 page 3 2.16. Procedures ........................................................................................................................... 38 2.16.1. Single set of Rules ...................................................................................................... 39 2.16.2. Overriding objectives .................................................................................................. 39 2.16.3. Transfers between JAAT and the Royal Court ........................................................... 40 2.16.4. ADR in relation to JAAT proceedings ....................................................................... 40 2.17. Open justice: hearings and delivery of judgments .............................................................. 40 2.17.1. Public hearings ............................................................................................................ 41 2.17.2. Public judgments ........................................................................................................ 41 2.18. Rights of audience ............................................................................................................... 43 2.19. Legal aid .............................................................................................................................. 43 3. APPEALS AND REVIEWS DETERMINED BY MINISTERS ................................................ 45 3.1. What are appeals determined by Ministers? ........................................................................ 45 3.2. The current law in Jersey ..................................................................................................... 45 3.2.1. Venues for civil marriages and civil partnerships .....................................................