A temporary Commissioner for Standards will be appointed after Guernsey was cut adrift from the rest of the Channel Islands.

The States Assembly and Constitution Committee said it is working quickly to restore order after the Pan-Island Commissioner for Standards quit on Friday.

Dr Melissa McCullough is still working for Alderney, Sark, and Jersey – but not Guernsey – after the States voted by a majority to dismiss her decision that Deputy Gavin St Pier had broken the Code of Conduct.

At their meeting yesterday, members of SACC – which includes Deputy St Pier – agreed to appoint a temporary Standards Commissioner “to provide continuity” while a permanent appointment is made.

Any applications to step in temporarily must be submitted by next Friday, 12 December to Eliot Gallienne, the Deputy States’ Greffier, via states.greffier@gov.gg or by post to the Parliamentary Service at The Royal Court House.

Pictured: Deputy Gavin St Pier and Dr Melissa McCullough.

SACC has also agreed to carry out a review of the Code of Conduct itself – saying that the system needs to remain “clear, robust and continues to command public confidence”.

The Code is intended to act as a rule book for elected States members to ensure they meet the political and moral standards required by the States.

The former Commissioner for Standards decided Deputy St Pier had fallen foul of the Code when he confirmed information around the number of complaints against a local doctor that he was aware of with a national newspaper journalist.

She decided that he should be suspended from the States for 30-days – which was reduced to 25-days on appeal – but 21 of Deputy St Pier’s colleagues agreed with him that he had not breached the Code of Conduct and should not be suspended.

The debate last week was immediately followed by Dr McCullough’s resignation.

Since then, two further reports compiled by Dr McCullough concerning Code of Conduct breaches by Deputies Marc Leadbeater and Rob Curgenven have been criticised.

Deputy Sally Rochester lodged a complaint against Deputy Leadbeater after he called another politician a “prick” in an email. Deputy Rochester then lodged another complaint against Deputy Leadbeater and Deputy Curgenven accusing them of breaching the Code of Conduct by discussing the first complaint.

Deputy Leadbeater said: “In my opinion, it was three months of wasted time and taxpayers’ money when we have far more important issues we should be concentrating on.”

Deputy Curgenven added: “it was a bizarre process” and “in my view, used precious civic resources needed for more important matters”.

Deputy Rochester declined to comment.

Pictured: Dr McCullough remains the Standards Commissioner elsewhere in the Bailiwick.

Dr McCullough had been the pan-island Commissioner for Standards for Guernsey and Jersey since 2023.

Dr McCullough was then appointed in Sark followed by Alderney this year.

She upheld no complaints against Guernsey politicians during her first year in the post, despite five complaints being made.

18 complaints were made against Guernsey politicians during 2024, with just one upheld – that was against Deputy Chris Blin who inadvertently shared confidential information with a third party. He was given a formal reprimand for this.

The total number of complaints made during 2025 is not yet known, but Deputy St Pier alluded to other complaints made against him during last week’s States debate. None have been confirmed publicly yet.

Confirmed figures for Sark and Alderney are also not currently available.