Chief Pleas
 | This article needs more citations. (May 2026) |
Chief Pleas | |
|---|---|
 Seal of the Chief Pleas | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
| Established | ~1579 |
| Leadership | |
Speaker | Paul Armorgie |
Deputy Speaker | Theodore Leworthy |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 20 |
Political groups |
|
| Committees |
|
| Elections | |
Last election | 2024 |
Next election | Before January 2027 |
 |
|---|
|
The Chief Pleas is the parliament and legislature of the island of Sark, part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey in the Channel Islands. It is a non-partisan assembly of 20 members. The current speaker of the Chief Pleas is Paul Armorgie, who was elected in 2023.[1]
History
[edit]The Chief Pleas was founded sometime prior to 1597. At the time, the legislature was not elected, consisting of the hereditary Seigneur, the Seneschal (then appointed by the Seigneur) and the forty tenement owners of the island. The Chief Pleas met infrequently to hear the pleas of its members, hence its name. In 1922, the parliament was expanded to include 12 Deputies, who why elected by popular vote. Only non-tenants could stand as candidates.[2] In 1957, 12 Peoples' Deputies were introduced after residents appealed to the Lieutenant Governor of Guernsey.[3]
Notably, Sark was the last jurisdiction on Earth to abolish it's feudal regime. In 2006, the Chief Pleas voted 25 to 15 to reform the legislature. The reforms would see its membership reduced from 52 to 28, with 14 landowners and 14 residents being elected.[4] The legislation came into affect in 2008 when it was endorsed by the Privy Council.[5] Sark held its first democratic election to the Chief Pleas on the 10 December 2008.
The Chief Pleas was reformed further in 2010, when the role of Seneschal was split. Beforehand, the Seneschal was both the president of the Chief Pleas as well as the chief judge. The change was decided after concerns that the mixed role did not comply with human rights law.[6] The reform came into affect in 2013.[7]
Structure
[edit]The Chief Pleas has 20 members, 18 directly elected Conseillers, the Speaker (elected by the Conseillers) and the Seigneur. Both the Speaker and the Seigneur are non-voting members.
Conseillers
[edit]Conseillers are elected for a term of four years. Elections take place every 2 years, with half of the total seats being contested. The most recent election took place in 2024, with the next due sometime before Janurary 2027.
Below is a list of the current serving Conseillers:
| Conseillers[8] | Term ends[9] |
|---|---|
| Helen Plummer | 2027 |
| John Guille | 2027 |
| Jolie Rose | 2027 |
| Carol Cragoe | 2027 |
| Nick Moloney | 2027 |
| Karl Rang | 2027 |
| Patrick Dewe | 2027 |
| John Perrée | 2027 |
| Michael Lanyon | 2027 |
| Mike Locke | 2029 |
| Natalie Tighe | 2029 |
| Chris Bateson | 2029 |
| David Curtis | 2029 |
| Edric Baker MBE | 2029 |
| Vacant (formerly Mary Nicholle)[a] | 2029 |
| James Martin | 2029 |
| Frank Makepeace | 2029 |
| Sam Keyte | 2029 |
Committees
[edit]The Chief Pleas operates a number of committees on various areas of administration of the island. These committees are made up of Conseillers, with some having additional non-Chief Pleas members.
The committees are listed below:[10]
- Agriculture, Environment & Sea Fisheries
- Development Control
- Douzaine
- Education
- Harbours, Shipping & Pilotage
- Medical & Emergency Services
- Policy & Finance
- Scrutiny Management
- Tourism (incl. Public Health)
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ↑ "EXTRAORDINARY (SPECIAL) MEETING OF CHIEF PLEAS OF THE ISLAND OF SARK HANSARD". Retrieved 28 July 2026.
- ↑ "Parliament - The Chief Pleas". The Royal Court of Guernsey. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
- ↑ "Chief Pleas Building". Isle of Sark. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
- ↑ Jones, Sam (9 March 2006). "Sark bids a reluctant farewell to more than 400 years of feudalism". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
- ↑ Ormsby, Avril (10 April 2008). "Sark ends 450 years of feudalism". Reuters. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
- ↑ "Sark decides to split feudal role of seneschal". BBC News. 6 October 2010. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
- ↑ "Sark Seneschal and Chief Pleas single roles begin". BBC News. 27 February 2013. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
- ↑ "Conseillers and Committees". The Chief Pleas of Sark. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
- ↑ "List of Conseillers". Retrieved 28 July 2026.
- ↑ "Conseillers and Committees". The Chief Pleas of Sark. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
Notes
[edit]- ↑ Mary Nicholle is no longer a Conseiller as of 8 July 2026