About public hearings
Scrutiny panels and the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) hold the Government to account on their policies, work and other matters of interest.
Scrutiny panel hearings are when a witness is invited to give evidence on a particular topic. They are usually held in public and anyone is welcome to attend and observe. Hearings are recorded and a transcript uploaded to this website.
There are two types of hearings:
- quarterly hearings - Scrutiny panels invite ministers to attend public hearing every few months. This is to hold them to account on a range of issues relevant to their role. During the hearing, the panel will ask the minister(s) questions
- review hearings - Scrutiny panels and the PAC hold public hearings to gather evidence for scrutiny reviews
Scrutiny panels invite ministers and members of the public to give evidence at review hearings. The Public Accounts Committee hold hearings with accountable officers from States of Jersey departments and other senior officials.
Scrutiny looks at evidence from a range of relevant people such as members of the public, industry representatives and other ministers to support its work. This includes members of the public, industry representatives and other ministers. Much of this evidence is collected during hearings.
More information about the proceedings of hearings can be found in the Scrutiny/PAC Proceedings Code of Practice.
Where are public hearings held
Anyone can watch a hearing in person. Scrutiny hearings normally take place in the States Building in the Royal Square in St. Helier. You need to enter via the reception desk at the entrance of the States Building on the Royal Square. Public seating is provided and you can enter quietly at any time during a public hearing.
There is ramp access at the entrance to the States Building and into the States Chamber hearing rooms. We can provide hearing help assistance headsets if required.
Watching public hearings
Hearings are generally held in public unless the panel or committee decides to meet in private. Upcoming hearings are advertised in advance on our website and on social media.
Members of the public attending hearings must not intervene or interrupt the proceedings. Hearings are also broadcast and can be viewed online during and after the meeting. A transcript is taken and published on our website as soon as possible after the hearing.
Filming of public hearings by any person or organisation is not permitted without the prior written consent of the Scrutiny Liaison Committee.
As a guide, agreement to film is likely to be permitted only in exceptional circumstances, and in such cases to be restricted to the first five minutes of the hearing.
Requests to film should be made in writing (scrutiny@gov.je) to the Committee at least 24 hours in advance of the scheduled start of the hearing and should explain why the official webcast footage would not adequately meet the intended need.
