Jersey Legal French , also known as Jersey French ( French : français de Jersey ), was the official dialect of French used administratively in Jersey . Since the anglicisation of the island, it survives as a written language for some laws, contracts, and other documents. Jersey's parliament , the States of Jersey , is part of the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie . The use of the English language has been allowed in legislative debates since 2 February 1900; the current use of French in the States of Jersey is generally restricted to certain limited official state functions and formalities (prayers, ceremonies, formulae).
37-559: There is an Honorary Police ( French : Police Honorifique ) force in each of the twelve parishes of Jersey . Members of the Honorary Police are elected by the voters of the parish in which they serve, and are unpaid. Honorary Police officers have, for centuries, been elected by parishioners to assist the connétable of the parish to maintain law and order. Officers are elected as centeniers , vingteniers or constable's officers , each with various duties and responsibilities. Until
74-564: A clasp awarded for each additional period of nine years service. In addition, officers with a minimum of 5 years service, received the Queen's Jubilee Medals of 2002 , 2012 , 2022 and the King Charles III Coronation Medal 2023 on the same basis as members of other British police services. The service was also awarded the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service in 2003. Jersey Legal French By common custom and usage ,
111-630: A day during that period. Honorary Police officers are elected to serve the Parish but in certain circumstances may assist or operate outside the Parish. Anyone standing for election as a member of the Honorary Police will have to undergo a criminal record check. In order to maintain the historic ties to the Church of England a Rectorate comprising the Connétable and Procureurs, and the Rector and Churchwardens oversees
148-589: A meeting), en désastre , au greffe , greffier (clerk to Court or the States), bâtonnier (lawyer in charge of Bar, particularly for legal aid ), mandataire , autorisé ( returning officer at elections, or other functions), projet (parliamentary bill), vraic , côtil , temps passé (time past), vin d'honneur (municipal or official reception), Centenier , Vingtenier , Chef de Police (senior Centenier), Ministre Desservant , branchage (pronounced in English as
185-494: A member of the Honorary Police will have to undergo a criminal record check. The Connétables (the civil head of the parish) were formerly the head of the parish honorary police force, but this role has since been transferred to the Chef de Police. The Connétables do still have a supervisory role over the police force and organise with the Chef de Police an annual policing plan for their parish. They also handle complaints against members of
222-466: A period of three years and take an oath in the Royal Court. All Honorary Police officers must live in the Parish at the time of their first election or, in the case of St Helier, be a ratepayer or mandataire of that Parish. If an officer moves out of the Parish during her/his term of office, s/he may continue her/his term of office with the approval of Her Majesty's Attorney General and the Connétable of
259-456: A rank below that of centenier in the Honorary Police, carry out general community policing in the parish, and fulfill administrative roles within their vingtaine in respect of tasks such as the Visite du Branchage . The office of vingtenier (which is believed to refer to a responsibility of looking after twenty (French: vingt ) households) may date back to 1331, although the first recorded reference to
296-452: Is a Parish Hall Sanction and not a criminal record, although the results are still reported to the States of Jersey Police to be placed on the person record. Separate Enquiries are held for youth offences, where Centeniers will try and resolve the situation without the need for the young offender to attend Court, and therefore diverting them from obtaining a criminal record whenever possible. If
333-624: Is an Honorary Police ( French : Police Honorifique ) force in each parish in Jersey . Honorary Police officers have, for centuries, been elected by parishioners to assist the Connétable of the Parish to maintain law and order. Officers are elected as Centeniers , Vingteniers or Constable's Officers each with various duties and responsibilities. Centeniers are the highest ranking police officers in Jersey and are elected. The Honorary Police provided
370-555: Is headed by a Constable ( French : Connétable ; Jèrriais : Connêtabl'ye ) who is elected for a three-year period by the residents of the Parish. The Constable is assisted in all matters by a Parish Municipality which consists of two Procureurs du Bien Public . The Parish is further divided into Vingtaines (or in Saint Ouen cueillettes). Each vingtaine is represented by two Vingteniers , two Roads Inspectors and three Constable's Officers . All are elected and sworn officers of
407-586: Is notable that the local term for the archipelago is îles de la Manche ( Channel Islands ) – îles anglo-normandes ( Anglo-Norman Islands ) is a somewhat recent invention in continental French. As in Swiss French and Belgian French , the numbers 70 and 90 are septante and nonante , respectively, not soixante-dix and quatre-vingt-dix (compare the use of nénante for 90 in Jèrriais). Initial capital letters are commonly used in writing
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#1732845423836444-658: The Honorary Police . Their chief role is the annual Visite du Branchage and the triennial Visite Royale . Supplementary bodies are also elected to serve specific needs; in the largest parish St Helier these include; the Accounts Committee , the Welfare Board , and the Youth Council . Matters of import are brought before a gathering of the municipality and members of the public for consideration and vote. There
481-584: The Royal Court . A Roads Committee of five elected principals is also available to offer advice on a range of issues; chiefly related to the roads. Centeniers are the highest ranking police officers in Jersey and are elected. In Jersey , the Roads Committee (French: Comité des Chemins ) is the highway authority for Parish roads in each Parish . In accordance with the Loi (1914) sur la Voirie it superintends
518-530: The 19th century the Honorary Police provided the only civilian law enforcement in Jersey. However, in the early part of the 19th century, crime was widespread among the urban population in Saint Helier (around 25,000 people) and paid police officers for the Parish of Saint Helier were appointed in 1853 and their remit was later extended to serve the whole island as the States of Jersey Police (SOJP). However, even today
555-596: The Honorary Police Association. A Chef de Police is appointed in each Parish from the Centeniers of that Parish and is responsible to the Connétable for the operational policing of the Parish. The Chef de Police of every Parish is a member of the Comité des Chefs de Police and it is the role of the Comité to seek to strengthen and uphold the Honorary Police by fostering and maintaining the unity of its members; oversee
592-529: The Jèrriais cognate even though spelt in the French manner – trimming hedges and verges on property border; also used jocularly for a haircut), Seigneur (feudal lord of the manor). Parish Assembly (Jersey) A Parish Assembly in Jersey is the decision-making body of local government, comprising ratepayers (including mandataires ) and electors of the parish . The Parish Assembly: Each parish
629-409: The Parish and may stand for re-election provided there is no break in service. A person may be nominated for election as a member of the Honorary Police if, on the day of nomination, s/he is at least 20 years of age and less than 70 years of age. Honorary Police officers are on duty for one week at a time, usually every 3 or 4 weeks depending upon the roster within the Parish, and are on call 24 hours
666-457: The Rector and three Principals of the Parish [five Principals for St Helier] elected for a term of three years by the Parish Assembly. Instructions are passed to Roads Inspectors whose duty it is to ensure that the repairs are carried out. In St. Helier, the larger Roads Committee also undertakes additional non-statutory responsibilities with regard to parks and other matters, and acts, in
703-479: The SOJP cannot charge anyone with an offence – charges have to be brought by the centenier of the parish in which the alleged offence was committed – and as such the Honorary Police continue to have a significant role in policing. The Honorary Police have existed since around the 15th century, though possibly before. Until the 19th century the Honorary Police provided the only civilian law enforcement in Jersey. However, in
740-533: The States of Jersey Police headquarters must be charged by a centenier of the Honorary Police, and he too will present the charges against an individual if the case is taken to the Magistrate. The centenier presides at parish hall enquiries and acts as prosecuting officer before the Magistrate's Court . Centeniers are, if a person admits to an offence, able to give a written caution, a fined or charged to Court. This
777-565: The absence of a municipal council, as an advisory body to the Connétable. By convention, the two Procureur du Bien Public of St. Helier attend meetings of the Roads Committee, but cannot vote. The Parish Assembly elects two Roads Inspectors for each Vingtaine [or Cueillette in St Ouen] for a three-year term of office in accordance with the Loi (1914) sur la Voirie. Roads Inspectors are responsible for
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#1732845423836814-412: The case of St Helier, be a ratepayer or mandataire of that parish. If an officer moves out of the parish during their term of office, they may continue their term of office with the approval of His Majesty's Attorney General and the connétable of the parish and may stand for re-election provided there is no break in service. A person may be nominated for election as a member of the Honorary Police if, on
851-442: The day of nomination, they are at least 20 years of age and less than 70 years of age. Honorary Police officers are on duty for one week at a time, usually every three or four weeks depending upon the roster within the parish, and are on call 24 hours a day during that period. Honorary Police officers are elected to serve the parish but in certain circumstances may assist or operate outside the parish. Anyone standing for election as
888-458: The early part of the 19th century, crime was widespread among the urban population in Saint Helier (around 25,000 people) and paid police officers for the Parish of Saint Helier were appointed in 1853 and their remit was later extended to serve the whole island as the States of Jersey Police (SOJP). In 2012, the Connétables were removed from their function as the head of the parish police, with
925-593: The management of resources made available to the Honorary Police; co-ordinate the provision of advice and guidance to members of the Honorary Police; promote consistency in operational practice between the Honorary Police of each parish; and foster continued co-operation with the States of Jersey Police Service and other agencies. Established on 1 December 2014, the Jersey Honorary Police Long Service and Good Conduct Medal may be awarded to Jersey Honorary Police officers after twelve years service with
962-525: The most spoken languages of Jersey in present times are the English language and Jèrriais. Jersey Legal French is not to be confused with Jèrriais , a variety of the Norman language also called Jersey Norman-French, spoken on the island. The French of Jersey differs little from that of France . It is characterised by several terms particular to Jersey administration and a few expressions imported from Norman. It
999-640: The names of the days of the week and months of the year. Messire is used for the title of knighthood (continental French uses sir , often lower case) – for example, the former Bailiff of Jersey, Sir Philip Bailhache is correctly addressed in French as Messire Philip Bailhache . Jersey English has imported a number of Jersey Legal French titles and terminology. Many of these, in turn, derive from Jèrriais. The following are examples likely to be encountered in daily life and in news reports in Jersey: rapporteur , en défaut (in default, i.e. late for
1036-463: The only law enforcement prior to the appointment of paid Police officers for the Parish of Saint Helier in 1853 and later to serve the whole Island. The Honorary Police still provide an essential and very valuable service to the Parish and community. Each Parish Assembly elects a number of Centeniers , Vingteniers and Constable's Officers who act in the name of the Connétable of the Parish in maintaining law and order. These officers are elected for
1073-404: The parish at the time of their election. If they move in the interim they are allowed to complete their term of office. They assist both the centeniers and vingteniers of the parish with general policing matters. The Attorney General of Jersey also has the role of the titular head of the island's Honorary Police force. This is not a formal, but an informal, relationship between the police force and
1110-431: The parish police. A centenier is a senior member of the Honorary Police of Jersey . Centeniers are elected for a mandate of three years at a public election within the parish. In addition to general policing matters, the centenier remains the only officer entitled to charge and bail offenders. The constable of the parish appoints one of the centeniers as chef de police of the parish. Under Jersey law, anyone charged at
1147-659: The person does not admit to an offence the Charge is still placed by the Centenier, but the case is handled in Court by a member of the Law Officers Department. A vingtenier is a member of the Honorary Police elected by a parish assembly of electors and ratepayers for a term of three years for a particular vingtaine (or, in St. Ouen , a cueillette) in that parish. Vingteniers, who occupy
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1184-595: The policing of island events or as needed or requested. Centeniers and vingteniers also assist their parishes with the Visite du Branchage twice yearly and the Visite Royale which happens once every six years. Duty is usually performed for a week on a rota basis. The different parishes differ slightly in their specific arrangements, however, all parishes hold a monthly meeting that their connétable must attend. Centeniers, Vingteniers and Constables Officers are members of
1221-422: The post transferring to the chief Centenier (the Chef de Police). Each parish elects a number of centeniers, vingteniers and constable's officers who act in the name of the connétable of the parish in maintaining law and order. These officers are elected for a period of three years and take an oath in the Royal Court . All Honorary Police officers must live in the parish at the time of their first election or, in
1258-475: The repair and maintenance of by-roads in the Parish, establishes boundary stones, issues Choses Publiques licenses, examines planning applications that fall within its responsibilities, supervises refuse collection, adjudicates fines during the Visite du Branchage, and proposes new road names, as may be necessary, for approval by the Parish Assembly. The Connétable presides over the Roads Committee which also includes
1295-607: The repair of by-roads of the Parish and have to ensure the instructions of the Roads Committee are carried out. In the Parish of St Helier , the Roads Inspectors also undertake additional non-statutory responsibilities with regard to the policing of infractions of the Road Traffic Act (Jersey) and other areas of the law within the parochial remit such as dog licensing and fly posting. They also serve as conduits of information to
1332-434: The role of AG. The Attorney General serves to: The tasks are very varied and can include the following: provide foot and mobile patrols, perform speed and road checks, perform premises licence and curfew checks, assisting in searches for missing persons, assist policing major events, centeniers perform parish hall enquiries , assist and co-operate with the States of Jersey Police and with other parishes’ Honorary Police in
1369-579: The title of vingtenier dates to 1462. The political system of Sark , which was modelled after Jersey's in 1579, also includes a vingtenier. In Sark the sole vingtenier is elected by Chief Pleas as junior to the constable. Constable's officers are the lowest rank of the elected police officers, collectively known as the Honorary Police who represent a vingtaine in a parish (or to a cueillette in St Ouen) of Jersey. Constable's officers do not have to live within that vingtaine (or cueillette) but must live within
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