The Bailiwick of Guernsey will get its first female Bailiff for the first time in the 748 year history of the role.
Deputy Bailiff Jessica Roland will succeed Sir Richard McMahon, when he retires at end of August 2026.
Ms Roland will be the first woman to hold the role since it was created in 1278.
At that time, the Bailli – the early Norman name for the position – was the person who held the island for the Duke of Normandy through the Sénéchale de Normandie, upholding Norman law.
The modern-day position has evolved but is still very much focussed on the rule of law, with the Bailiff acting as a fully functioning Chief Justice and Parliamentary Speaker rolled into one.
The Bailiff’s office also acts as the official channel of communication between the States of Guernsey and the UK Government.
First woman
Ms Roland was born in Guernsey in 1969, becoming the island’s Deputy Bailiff in 2020 after a career as an advocate and law firm partner.
In fact, she’s the first woman to hold either role in the Channel Islands – with Jersey having appointed only men since the role of Bailiff was created there in 1201.
However, the larger island swore in its second female Solicitor General just yesterday – Victoria Bell.
The role puts her in the line of succession for the role of Jersey’s Bailiff.
Who is the new Bailiff?
Ms Roland was educated at Forest Primary School and the Grammar School for Girls, before leaving the island to study at Sussex University, The College of Law in York, and the Université de Caen.
She was admitted as a solicitor in 1997 before returning to Guernsey, qualifying as an advocate in July 1999.
She rose to the rank of Managing Partner at a law firm in Guernsey, before taking on the Deputy Bailiff role in 2020.
