Most parishes have elected new Douzeniers and Constables this week – with some deferring their elections until later this month.
Seats were available in each of the ten parishes at both Douzaine and Constable level as well as on parochial cemetery committees and others.
Castel, Torteval, Forest, St Saviour’s, St Sampson’s, and St Andrew’s all filled their vacancies at parish meetings held earlier this week.
St Peter’s had already elected to hold theirs during the parish meeting on 12 November while voters will go to the polls in St Martin’s, the Vale, and St Peter Port on 19 November.
Among the roles filled this week were five Douzenier positions in St Saviour’s, which were all uncontested. Just 13 people turned up to the parish meeting to see Paul Connolly, John Gillson, Susan Watson, Sophie Roughsedge, and Darrel Bertrand confirmed.
Adrian Gidney, Christine Cowling, and Richard Breban were elected to the Forest Douzaine, while Neil Sarre, Conor Burke, and Steve Brehaut were confirmed in Torteval.
New Constables were elected in St Sampson’s and the Castel with David Hannah and Jo May appointed respectively.
Adrian Dilcock – who was St Sampson’s Senior Constable until this week – was elected as a Douzenier for the parish alongside his wife Jane Dilcock and Michael Beaumont.
Bob Falla, Claire Teed, and Debi Troth were elected to the Castel Douzaine.
David Prosser, Philip Retz, and Nicholas Matthew were elected to the St Andrew’s Douzaine, with one vacancy remaining. Gregory Roberts was re-elected as Constable.
Information on the candidates for the elections in St Peter’s, St Martin’s, the Vale, and St Peter Port will all be available from the parish Douzaines.
What does a Douzaine do?
Guernsey has ten parishes which each have their own douzaine with a Dean and varying numbers of Douzeniers. Each parish also has a senior and junior Constable.
Douzeniers are representatives of their parishioners and are responsible for the vision and direction of the parish. The main commitment for a Douzenier is the monthly meeting of the Douzaine to discuss parish affairs. These include:
- collecting the parish rates and ensuring funds are well spent promoting and enhancing the assets of the parish;
- maintaining parish property;
- giving feedback on local planning applications;
- inspecting hedges, streams and dangerous roads and walls;
- collecting household refuse;
- issuing liquor and other licences to local businesses;
- signposting parishioners to States’ committees; and
- taking part in the election of Jurats and commemorative events.
Douzeniers may also focus on a particular aspect of the work of the douzaine or join a specific sub-committee – for example, producing a parish magazine or organising the parish’s contribution to Floral Guernsey.
Each Douzenier is elected for four years. Terms are staggered, which means that every year there are at least three seats up for election – with four in the Vale and five in St. Peter Port, which have more Douzeniers than the other parishes.
A charter exists between the States and the Douzaines outlining their relationship. It was signed in 2011 by Deputy Lyndon Trott, who at that time was the island’s senior-most politician. On behalf of the States, he agreed to give Douzaines opportunities to comment on matters of policy which would affect their parishes before the States made decisions about them.
Work to rewrite the Douzaine Charter started in 2023.
That is being undertaken by the Douzaine Liaison Group, which acts as a reference point for the Douzaines to “facilitate communication between States’ committees and parish authorities”.