Administrative
Decisions (Review) (Jersey) Law 1982[1]
A LAW to make provision for the
review of administrative decisions and for connected purposes
Commencement
[see endnotes]
1[2]
In this Law –
“Board” means a States of Jersey Complaints Board
constituted in accordance with Article 6;
“Greffier” means the Greffier of the States or the Deputy Greffier
of the States;
“Panel” means the States of Jersey Complaints Panel
constituted in accordance with Article 5.
2
Where any person (referred to in this Law as the
“complainant”) is aggrieved by any decision made, or any act done
or omitted, relating to any matter of administration by any Minister or
Department of the States or by any person acting on behalf of any such Minister
or Department, the person may apply to the Greffier
to have the matter reviewed by a Board.
3[3]
(1) On
receipt of any such application the Greffier shall, with
the least possible delay, enquire into the facts of the matter and then present
to the Chairman (or one of the Deputy Chairmen) of the Panel a report on that
enquiry.
(2) The
Chairman (or Deputy Chairman) shall, on the basis of that report (or, in the
case of a matter referred under paragraph (6), on the basis of that reference)
and of any other information he or she may have or obtain, decide whether the
circumstances justify a review of the matter by a Board.
(3) If
the Chairman (or Deputy Chairman) decides that a review of the matter by a
Board is justified, he or she may nevertheless first attempt informal
resolution of the matter and in that case may use whatever means that he or she
considers reasonable in the circumstances to achieve such a resolution.
(4) If
the Chairman (or Deputy Chairman) decides that a review of the matter is
justified and that informal resolution of the matter is not appropriate or has
failed (or proved not to be satisfactory), the Greffier
shall cause to be constituted a Board, and the Chairman (or Deputy Chairman) shall
refer the complaint to the Board so constituted.
(5) If
the Chairman (or Deputy Chairman) decides that a review of the matter is not
justified, he or she shall set out in writing the reasons for that decision and
the Greffier shall then forward to the applicant
notice of the decision and include in that notice those reasons as so set out.
(5A) An applicant may, within one month of receiving notice of a
decision described in paragraph (5), apply to the Greffier
to have the decision reviewed.
(5B) The Greffier shall inform the Chairman and Deputy Chairmen of
an application under paragraph (5A) and –
(a) where the decision to be reviewed was taken by the Chairman,
the review of it shall be undertaken by both Deputy Chairmen;
(b) where the decision to be reviewed was taken by a Deputy
Chairman, the review of it shall be undertaken by the other Deputy Chairman and
the Chairman.
(5C) If the persons undertaking a review of a decision described
in paragraph (5) do not uphold that decision, paragraphs (3) and (4) shall
apply, with the necessary modifications, as if they had decided that the matter
justified a review.
(6) Notwithstanding
paragraph (1) if –
(a) the matter complained of relates to any matter of administration
by the States Greffe or by any person acting on behalf of the States Greffe; or
(b) the complainant is an officer of the States Greffe,
the Greffier shall, without enquiring into the facts of the
matter for the purposes of this Article, forthwith refer the matter to the
Chairman (or one of the Deputy Chairmen) of the Panel for such action as the
Chairman or Deputy Chairman might consider necessary.
4
The Chairman (or a Deputy Chairman) of the Panel shall not decide
that any circumstances justify a review of any matter by a Board if in his or
her opinion –
(a) the matter complained of is not within the jurisdiction of a
Board;
(b) the matter complained of relates to a decision, act or
omission of which the complainant has had knowledge for more than 12 months
unless the Chairman (or Deputy Chairman) is satisfied that there are special
circumstances which make it proper to do so;
(c) the subject matter of the complaint is trivial;
(d) the complaint is frivolous, vexatious or is not made in good
faith;
(e) the complainant has not a sufficient personal interest in
the subject matter of the complaint.[4]
5[5]
(1)[6]
(2) The Privileges and Procedures Committee
may –
(a) from among persons suitably qualified by profession or
experience appoint a Chairman and 2 suitably qualified Deputy Chairmen of the
Panel; and
(b) appoint a sufficient number of persons to constitute the
Panel,
to hold office during such period and on such terms and conditions as the
Committee may so direct, and any person so appointed shall be eligible for
re-appointment on the expiry of the person’s term of office.[7]
(2A) Article 2 of the States of Jersey (Appointment
Procedures) (Jersey) Law 2018[8] shall apply to the appointment of the Chairman, Deputy Chairmen and
other members of the Panel.[9]
(3) The Panel shall issue rules of practice and
procedure which shall apply in matters arising under this Law.[10]
(4) The Greffier shall
ensure that all parties to a complaint are made aware of the rules issued under
paragraph (3).[11]
6[12]
(1) A
States of Jersey Complaints Board shall be constituted from the States of
Jersey Complaints Panel.
(2) A
Board shall be composed of 3 persons selected from the Panel by the Chairman of
the Panel, and one of those persons shall be the Chairman of the Panel or one
of the Deputy Chairmen of the Panel.
6A[13]
(1) Notwithstanding
Articles 3, 4 and 6, a person shall not decide whether a review of a matter is
justified, review such a decision or select persons to comprise a Board to
review a matter or, as a member of a Board, undertake such a review, if he or
she is the complainant in respect of the matter or is otherwise
connected with, or was involved in, the matter.
(2) Where,
by virtue of paragraph (1), the Chairman cannot do any
thing under this Law that he or she could otherwise do and neither of
the Deputy Chairmen can act in his or her place, the Greffier
shall appoint a member of the Panel to so act.
(3) Where,
by virtue of paragraph (1), a Deputy Chairman cannot do any thing under this Law that he or she could otherwise do
and neither the Chairman nor the other Deputy Chairman can act in his or her
place, the Greffier shall appoint a member of the
Panel to so act.
7
A Board shall, with the least possible delay, enquire into any
complaint referred to it and for this purpose shall regulate its own procedure.
8
For the purposes of this Law a Board and the Greffier
shall have power to require any document or information to be provided within
one month (or such longer time as the Board, or the Greffier,
respectively may allow) by any Minister, Department or officer, or employee, in
an administration of the States for which a Minister is assigned responsibility,
and to hear any person in connection with any complaint.[14]
9
(1) After
completing its enquiry, a Board shall report its findings in writing to the
complainant and to the Minister, Department or person concerned and present a
copy of its report to the Privileges and Procedures Committee.[15]
(2) Where
a Board after making enquiry as aforesaid is of opinion that the decision, act
or omission which was the subject matter of the complaint –
(a) was
contrary to law;
(b) was
unjust, oppressive or improperly discriminatory, or was in accordance with a
provision of any enactment or practice which is or might be unjust, oppressive
or improperly discriminatory;
(c) was based wholly or partly on a mistake of law or fact;
(d) could not have been made by a reasonable body of persons
after proper consideration of all the facts; or
(e) was
contrary to the generally accepted principles of natural justice,
the Board, in
reporting its findings thereon to the Minister, Department or person concerned,
shall request that Minister, Department or person to reconsider the matter.
(3) Where
a Board requests reconsideration of any matter, it shall also request the Minister,
Department or person concerned to inform it within a specified time of the
steps which have been taken to reconsider the matter and the result of that
reconsideration.
(4) The
Board shall provide the Privileges and Procedures Committee and the complainant
with a copy of the information given under paragraph (3).[16]
(5) The
complainant may, within one month of the information being provided, request
the Board to consider reconvening.[17]
(6) The
Board may reconvene, of its own motion or following a request under
paragraph (5) if, in its opinion, the information provided under
paragraph (3) and, where a request has been made, any representations made
with it, justify further consideration.[18]
(7) On
reconvening, the Board may exercise the powers in Article 8.[19]
(8) In
any case where a Board requested reconsideration of any matter, the Board may,
if it considers that its findings have been insufficiently considered or
implemented, present a report to that effect to the Privileges and Procedures
Committee.[20]
(9) The
Privileges and Procedures Committee shall present to the States a copy of any
information or report that it receives under this Article.[21]
10[22]
(1) The
Panel shall present in every year a report to the Privileges and Procedures
Committee on the following –
(a) the complaints received under this Law;
(b) the results of any attempt at informal resolution of the
subject matter of such a complaint;
(c) a summary of the findings of any Board;
(d) the steps taken by the relevant Minister, Department or
person when a Board has requested a reconsideration of the matter of such a
complaint.
(2) The
Privileges and Procedures Committee shall present a copy of the report to the
States.
(3) The
Privileges and Procedures Committee may examine the Panel on the contents of the
Panel’s report and may present to the States the Committee’s own
comments on the report.
11
The provisions of this Law shall be in addition to, and not in
derogation of, any other remedy which may be available to a complainant.
12 [23]
13
This Law may be cited as the Administrative Decisions (Review)
(Jersey) Law 1982.