Every three weeks, Jersey’s States Members take their seats in the States Chamber to debate policy proposals and approve the laws that govern the Island.

And usually, the only way you would get to experience what that is like is to stand for election when the time comes and convince the electorate you’re the right person for the job.

But to celebrate Jersey’s fifth Democracy Week, the States Greffe gave Islanders the chance to take part in a real-life debate.

In this episode, we look back at Jersey’s first People’s Debate with some of those who were involved with it, to discover what they made of the experience and if it achieved what it set out to do.

Host: Sarah Hopkins
Interviewees: Jenny O’ Brien, Peter Langlois, Evan Smith and Jon Tarrant

Watch the People's Debate in full on YouTube.

Get in touch with us if you have some feedback about the show, or if you want to suggest a topic for a future episode. Email statesgreffe@gov.je

If you liked what you heard, please give us a star rating, add your review and subscribe!

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Questions are one of the tools that Jersey's States Members have available to them to understand why and how the Government is doing what it's doing.

• Want to get to grips with a Minister's priorities? Ask a question.
• Want to know how much money is being spent on something? Ask a question.
• Want to understand how long it will take to deliver a new initiative or service? Ask a question.

Questions come in different forms, and depending on who you are and where you're asking them - the answers can come in different forms too.

In this episode we have Deputy Greffier Will Millow and Assistant Greffier Yan Fillieul serving up the essentials of political questions. We cover the various types of questions that can be asked at a States Meeting and branch out into how questions are used by Scrutiny Panels, as well as other situations where the Island's politicians might ask - or be asked - a question.

Episode host: Emily Thomas
Interviewees: William Millow; Yannick Fillieul.

Get in touch with us if you have some feedback about the show, or if you want to suggest a topic for a future episode. Email statesgreffe@gov.je

If you liked what you heard, please give us a star rating, add your review and subscribe!

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Who are the people who make our laws, set our taxes, decide how Jersey should be run? And what do they all do?

Jersey politics features a whole host of different roles that could be unfamiliar to you. There are: Constables (a.k.a. Connétables); Deputies; the Bailiff; the Greffier of the States; the Attorney General and Solicitor General; and more!

In this episode Lisa Hart and Will Millow help to unpack all the details about the people that work together to keep the wheels of Jersey's democracy turning. Listen to this episode and you will find out answers to the following questions:

• What's the difference between a Deputy and a Constable?
• Why does the Bailiff sit on a chair higher than everyone else's in the States Chamber?
• What's the best job in Jersey that you've never heard of!?

Episode guests:
Lisa Hart - Greffier of the States
Will Millow - Deputy Greffier of the States

Episode host: Emily Thomas

Get in touch with us if you have some feedback about the show, or if you want to suggest a topic for a future episode. Email statesgreffe@gov.je

If you liked what you heard, please give us a star rating, add your review and subscribe!

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Following on from our previous episode 'Jersey Scrutiny 101', we finish off the interview with Andy and Will and cover how Jersey isn't on its own in doing parliamentary scrutiny, what it takes to be an effective scrutineer and discover what it is that makes the Island's Public Accounts Committee the envy of other jurisdictions.

Interviewees: Andy Harris; Will Millow
Episode host: Emily Thomas

Get in touch with us if you have some feedback about the show, or if you want to suggest a topic for a future episode. Email statesgreffe@gov.je

If you liked what you heard, please give us a star rating, add your review and subscribe!

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If you follow the news or have any interest at all in how taxpayers' money - your money - is spent in Jersey, then you must surely have heard references to 'Scrutiny'.

As mentioned in our 'Jersey Politics 101' podcast episode, Scrutiny is how politicians make sure that the government is held to account by checking and challenging policies, laws and the spending of public money.

What really is Scrutiny, though? How does it work, who are the scrutineers and what do they do to get the best outcomes for Islanders?

Host: Emily Thomas
Interviewees: Andy Harris; Will Millow

Get in touch with us if you have some feedback about the show, or if you want to suggest a topic for a future episode. Email statesgreffe@gov.je

If you liked what you heard, please give us a star rating, add your review and subscribe!

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Jersey was occupied by German forces during the Second World War. The Occupation had a huge impact on the daily lives of Islanders, with many aspects of 'normal' life' restricted or affected in some way by the new rules and regulations that were imposed.

Large crowds gathered in the Royal Square in St. Helier to celebrate when Jersey was liberated on 9 May 1945. Liberation Day is now a public holiday in Jersey. Each year on 9 May, Islanders reflect on this important anniversary in the Island's history and come together to celebrate their enduring freedom.

In this episode we discuss the past, present and future including:

• How did the Occupation affect the States Assembly?
• Did the politicians of the day continue to represent the people and make new laws?
• What do States Members do to observe Liberation Day today?
• How might Jersey's commemorations of Liberation Day change in the future?

Episode host: Emily Thomas
Interviewees: Dominic Butler; Will Millow

Get in touch with us if you have some feedback about the show, or if you want to suggest a topic for a future episode. Email statesgreffe@gov.je

If you liked what you heard, please give us a star rating, add your review and subscribe!

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People who live in Jersey have the power to start a petition to call on the States Assembly - Jersey's elected parliament - for action or change.

What exactly is a petition? What power do they have? Do they really work to make change and improvement? How can you go about starting a petition, and what is the secret to success?

If you want to start an e-petition, click here: Start a petition - Petitions (gov.je), or for more information on how e-petitions work: How petitions work (gov.je)

If you think a hard copy petition is the best option for your cause, find out more about what you need to do here: Presenting a petition to the States (gov.je)

Interviewee: Will Millow
Episode host: Emily Thomas

Music: Pumpupthemind

Get in touch with us if you have some feedback about the show, or if you want to suggest a topic for a future episode. Email statesgreffe@gov.je

If you liked what you heard, please give us a star rating, add your review and subscribe!

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Jersey's States Members are expected to abide by the Code of Conduct for Elected Members and it's the job of the Commissioner for Standards to determine whether or not they have, when faced with a complaint.

Dr Melissa McCullough is the Pan-Island Commissioner for Standards. As Commissioner, she deals with complaints (and potential complaints) from States Members and Islanders.

In this interview Dr McCullough describes the background and experience that led to her appointment as Pan-Island Commissioner. She also talks about the importance of the Code of Conduct for Elected Members and the Seven Principles of Public Life (selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty, leadership).

Dr McCullough explains who can complain, how to make a complaint and what happens once a complaint is in motion.

Episode host: Emily Thomas
Special guest: Dr Melissa McCullough, Pan-Island Commissioner for Standards

Music: Pumpupthemind

Find out more about the Commissioner for Standards here.
Read about the complaints process here.

Contact the Commissioner:
Commissioner for Standards,
c/o States Greffe,
Morier House,
Halkett Place,
St. Helier,
Jersey
JE1 1DD

or by e-mail: Commissioner@pi-cfs.org

Get in touch with us if you have some feedback about the show, or if you want to suggest a topic for a future episode. Email statesgreffe@gov.je

If you liked what you heard, please give us a star rating, add your review and subscribe!

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