Election to the Honorary PoliceÊlections d’la Police Honorifique

Each Parish elects Centeniers, Vingteniers and Constable’s Officers who take an oath in the Royal Court and serve a 3 year term of office.

Centeniers Elections

Centeniers are elected under the Public Elections (Jersey) Law 2002 and the Centeniers (Terms of Office) (Jersey) Law 2007. Each candidate must be proposed and seconded by 10 electors of the Parish.

Elections for Centeniers are held every 9 months. The next public elections will be in December 2023 (those elected will take office from 15 December 2023), September 2024 and June 2025.

Vingteniers and Constable’s Officers (CO’s) Elections

Vingteniers and Constable’s Officers are elected by the whole Parish Assembly.

Elections are held as vacancies need to be filled and candidates must be proposed and seconded by a member of the Parish Assembly.

Age limits

To be nominated for election as a member of the Honorary Police you must, on the day of nomination, be at least 20 years of age and less than 70 years of age.

However, serving members of the Honorary Police who have attained the age of 70 may stand for re-election to the same office for one further and final term. Whilst still in office they may also stand for election to a different office within the Honorary Police. A person over the age of 70 elected to a different office cannot on the expiry of that term office be re-elected to serve a further term or whilst still in office be elected to a different office.

Residence in the parish

You must also be resident in the Parish at the time of your first election or, in the case of St Helier, be a ratepayer or mandataire (representative of a body corporate which is liable for rates) 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 and may stand for re-election to the same position or stand for election to another office in the Honorary Police provided there is no break in service.

Capable of discharging the duties of office

It is important that every person elected is not only capable of discharging his/her duties, but also seen to be capable. Therefore, if you hold a licence or are a director, manager, secretary or similar officer of a company/entity which holds a licence under the Licensing or Gambling Laws you are disqualified from appointment in view of the possible conflict of interest in policing of licensing offences.

A criminal record check is undertaken on all persons standing for election as a member of the Honorary Police.

Oath of office

All officers swear the oath of office in the Royal Court (translated Code of 1771).

Number of officers in each Parish

The number of honorary police officers in each Parish is prescribed in statute and is as follows: