Election confirmed after “not fit for office” Constable resigns

Friday 19 March 2021

An election date to decide who should be the next Constable of St. John has officially been set after Chris Taylor announced his resignation yesterday.

Voting will occur on Wednesday 28 April.

The Constable’s confirmation that he would be stepping down followed a ruling from the Royal Court on Monday that he was “not fit for office” due to his dangerous driving conviction and should resign.

The Court - whose judgment was handed down by Commissioner Sir William Bailhache - also took issue with his use of parish money to pay his legal bill - which he later repaid - and continued public protestations of innocence. 

It ordered that an election date is scheduled as soon as possible, and said that Mr Taylor can remain in post until his successor is confirmed.

Pictured: Taylor was directed to resign by the Royal Court.

Today, the Royal Court set that date. It also agreed that a meeting for candidates to be formally nominated will take place on Wednesday 31 March. 

The successful candidate will be sworn in on Friday 30 April.

Until then, Mr Taylor will not be attending next week's States Assembly meeting or any subsequent meetings, but he will continue to ensure the effective day-to-day running of the Parish of St. John.

Mr Taylor's dangerous driving conviction came after he was found by the Magistrate's Court to have have repeatedly driven into the legs of a cycle race marshal at slow speed in June 2019 following a Magistrate’s Court trial last year, for which he was fined £4,000 and given a driving ban.

Following the conviction, he resigned from his Assistant Ministerial role, which saw him given responsibility for the island's population policy. That role was then passed to St. Peter Deputy Rowland Huelin.

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"Not fit for office" Constable resigns