On March 1st 2010 the States of Jersey voted for a Committee of Enquiry
Things are moving about as fast as a Massy Ferguson with One Wheel
We will now be keeping a close eye on this and posting updates on"VoiceforJersey"
Let us now look at the Statement released By the Chief Minister this week. I have highlighted in Red where I see problems with this statement.
Statement by the Chief Minister
Historical Child Abuse: Committee of Inquiry Terms of Reference
On the 1st March 2011, the States’ Assembly agreed by 37 votes to 11 that there should be a Committee of Inquiry to investigate some unresolved issues in relation to historical child abuse in the Island. The States also approved four points that the Committee of Inquiry should consider and asked the Chief Minister and the Council of Ministers to establish such a Committee.
During that debate, and indeed since then, there have been representations from interested parties about the need for further consultation on the terms of reference for any inquiry given the different opinions as to the purpose of the inquiry and what the investigation needs to achieve. The Council of Ministers have wrestled with this issue and the imperative for the inquiry to have a clear purpose with clear terms of reference. I have no doubt that whatever terms of reference are finally agreed, that some parties will not be satisfied as their views on the purpose will be different.
I discussed this matter with Senator Le Gresley and Deputies Hill and Tadier who had brought successful amendments to the Council of Ministers original proposition not to have a Committee of Inquiry. I am pleased that we all agreed at this meeting that we needed some independent expert help from an external body to seek the views of interested parties and recommend terms of reference to the Council of Ministers with various options on how an inquiry of this nature might be conducted in Jersey. It needs to be made clear here that under the States of Jersey Law, it would be for the Committee of Inquiry to ultimately determine how the investigation would be conducted.
Senator Le Gresley attended the Council of Ministers on 16th June and reported back on the meeting. The Chief Minister’s Department has now begun to engage with an independent facilitator with expertise in the field of public inquiries in the UK, and with the benefit of knowledge of the Island, to take this idea forward as a matter of urgency. I hope that this initial piece of work will take weeks rather than months and given States business is unlikely to be debated until the autumn.
As you can see we have a problem with all of it. I don't know what we do if im honest. Yes, there must a Committee of Enquiry but we don't trust this present Government one little bit.
I fully trust Senator Le Gresley and Deputies Hill & Tadier but lets not forget how the Chief Minister shafted Deputy Hill concerning the Napier Report. Deputy Hill was meant to have oversight and we know what happened to that.
Just look at the bit concerning the terms of reference. Since when has a minor problem like TOR's concerned this present lot? Remember part D of the Napier Review and Verita they just dropped and changed as they pleased.
This expertise must have some knowledge in Child Abuse Enquiries
This is just the first posting of many concerning the "COI" and I hope people will leave their views on the comment section. This COI is so important to so many people it cant be sabotaged like everything else
Roughly 40 members of This Government & the ruling elite don't give a damn about the Abuse Survivors you can see this through their voting over the last couple of years.
What pro-active steps have they taken in helping the Survivors ?
They were dragged towards this COI
We must watch them like a Hawk
Team Voice
29 comments:
It is also rather important who sits on the COI. Anyone with a passing knowledge of care leavers would be very well aware of the deep seated trust issues care leavers typically have with authorities and formal settings like a COI. It would be a big mistake simply to have the typical Jersey single person external academic type. Much better to ensure there is a sympathetic face there that survivors find credible. My recollection is that Jersey regulations allow up to 5 to sit on a Committee of Inquiry.
Rico.
This speaks volumes.
"On the 1st March 2011, the States’ Assembly agreed by 37 votes to 11 that there should be a Committee of Inquiry."
And then further down we get.
"given States business is unlikely to be debated until the autumn."
What will Le Sueur (The Law Offices) be saying in Autumn?????????
No matter how much the Law Offices try stopping the tide coming in..............It's going to come in!!
For starters.
Will JCLA be consulted.
Will this enquiry be as independent as BDO Alto.
Will the law officers come under scrutiny.
Why so few prosecutions?
What of Graham Powers suspension without right of reply.
Issue of Leaks.
Statements such as ''over my dead body''
The removal of terms of reference.
You are quite right to be concerned about this statement VFC. It is weak and open-ended as far as I see it.
For starters who are the interested parties who have made representations, because the JCLA are not one of them. The most interested parties should be abuse survivors themselves and especially those who have not seen the justice they so rightly deserve at this moment in time.
As St Ouennais so very rightly says there is the trust issue as well. Most survivors are very wary of authority figures and understandably have no faith in them at all. It is quite difficult to win someones confidence in you given what some have been through. This is why it all fell flat when Lenny Harper and Graham Power were treated as they were, let alone what has happened to Stuart, and the judgement Jonathon Sumption gave on Monday shows just how far removed from the reality of all this he really was.
Rest assured Team Voice there are those who will be watching this very, very closely and making doubly sure that this cannot and will not be another whitewash.
Indeed in view of the BDO Alto debacle and all the peripheral issues my personal feeling is that the whole enquiry should be re-opened. Perhaps it could be called Operation CONE.
Whoops - a pig just flew past my window.
There is no way that this COI should take at least 9 months to get started, concidering it was proposed that it should get started immediately.
A few good point for it taking until the end of the year to start is 1/ Le Sueur will be gone 2/ There will be at least 50% new States members and 3/ A lot more exposures from Citizens Media would have happened by then.
".....and with the benefit of knowledge of the Island..."
Yes of course, they must also understand 'The Jersey Way'.
Why not give Ourchap a call, I am sure he can help if we grease his palm a little.
".....and with the benefit of knowledge of the Island..."
Not necessary, they just need to be experienced in dealing with such issues as abuse cover ups, be diligent, be enquiring, be balanced, be honest, be wary!
What chance is there of an honest, independent, thorough and transparent COI conducted with the current ministers in office? None!
This is disturbing in the wording,"The Chief Minister’s Department has now begun to engage with an independent facilitator with expertise in the field of public inquiries in the UK, and with the benefit of knowledge of the Island, to take this idea forward as a matter of urgency."
Why should this COI require someone with "knowledge of the island," when that has been part of the very reason there have been no honest and accountable investigations since Lenny Harper left? That right there is suspicious.
No doubt the paedo-protecting States members wish to avoid any further inquiry at all, but if they must tolerate this COI, the advantage still lies with them since they have subverted all the controls and accountability for three years.
They are desperate. They lie. They pay off others with huge sums. They have friends in high places in the UK. Why would they sit back now and participate in their own downfall?
The very worse thing that could happen with this COI is that a sophisticated whitewash, more carefully orchestrated this time, could be conducted to finally bury the truth along with the teeth and bones.
The time for the full COI is after the government has been cleaned up. Then it can be a real COI.
The 5 members of the COI will be;
Piers Baker - representing the needs of young people.
David Rose - managing external media relations.
John Richardson - for the Jersey civil service.
Philip Bailhache - an expert on Jersey law.
John Haworth - a concerned member of the general public.
Thier efforts will be fully supported by the law officers department, Data Protection, the COM's, the entire upper level of the civil service, large sums of tax payers money and a fully independent and intellectually vigorous media.
Citizen media will not be allowed any access and the entire thing will be conducted in camera.
Our top boys just been in China. Its not rocket science.
Wouldn't a COI be better after Stuart is back in office?
"Since when has a minor problem like TOR's concerned this present lot?"
Oh, but it did. They were so obsessed with removing it they were not even careful enough to avoid exposure. They must have lost a lot of sleep until they hatched that removal plan.
Sadly, what everyone is still failing to understand is the fact that unless this CoI is 100% transparent, open, and without any TOR, it is going to be covered up!!!
Just look back at every filthy stunt that the States of Jersey has pulled in this debacle, then ask yourselves one long hard question....
HOW MUCH LONGER AM I PREPARED TO BE DECEIVED???
The Metropolitan police report must be produced. If it ever existed otherwise people will always believe Graham Powers suspension was because of a letter from David Warcup.
The Jersey ANTHEM
Understanding The Mind Of The Jersey Blogger!
Well done voice for keeping us informed.
AN EVIDENCED LIAR AND CRIMINAL
Have the abuse survivors been involved in the setting up of this enquiry?
"Have the abuse survivors been involved in the setting up of this enquiry?"
Contrary to how the CM,s statement reads, no, we most definitely have NOT been involved!! They know full well that we are waiting in the wings and I for one am not giving up! Carrie
Some Law Firms do better than OTHERS
DEALING WITH LAW & GOVERNMENT IN JERSEY
One question i would be happy to have the answer on and I am aware the question has been asked many times.
How many victims came forward under Gradwell & Warcup?
"How many victims came forward under Gradwell & Warcup?"
Not sure how many, but a few more came forward after the final (stitch up) call was made on 10th December 2008
"10th December 2008. THE police made a final public appeal today for witnesses in the historical child abuse inquiry to come forward to assist with the investigation."
Those they knew about who did not come forward were contacted by I would think Gradwell's team to ask if they wanted to make a complaint! Basically, what they were saying was "speak up now or forever hold your tongue!!! Carrie
In the Wiltshire report
2.10 The new Senior officers with the support of Law officers & state officials, decided to provide an alternative perspective on the 'facts' in a press conference on 12th Nov 2008.
Quoted from the anonymous June 26 @22:22 comment above -
"In the Wiltshire report
2.10 The new Senior officers with the support of Law officers & state officials, decided to provide an alternative perspective on the 'facts' in a press conference on 12th Nov 2008."
This would open up a most intriguing line of questions of Wiltshire! THE NEW SENIOR OFFICERS & STATE OFFICIALS DECIDED? "ALTERNATIVE PERSPECTIVE" ON THE "FACTS?"
WOW and WOW again.
Reply to comment 20:11
Wow wow wow and wow again a nice little cosy gathering to provide alternative perspective on ''facts'' would that be the media release given on 12th November 2008
This is possibly much more significant than anything else in Wiltshire, IMHO. This also relates to Lenny Harper's own allegations in his affidavit regarding the leak to Rose-Hackingshite. Now Wiltshire are planning to re-open their report to self scrutiny because of that leak and their possible association with it? Is that correct? Could that section quoted above from the Wiltshire report be investigated further by either Lenny Harper or Graham Power?
Elle
Elle
Facts are facts. What is an alternative to them? Wiltshire could have said alternative opinion or alternative interpretation. But alternative to what? They said perspective, without explaining any opposing view other than the facts themselves. Conclusion = facts are on one side, in opposition to what a bunch of new senior officers, in collusion with state officials and law officers decide to spin as an alternative to facts in the redacted Wiltshire scam.
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