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The Royal Court is Jersey's superior court. It is presided over by the Bailiff, who is the Chief Justice and the civil head of the island. There are also a Deputy Bailiff, who is a full-time judge, and several Commissioners, who tend to be senior practitioners called upon to judge cases on an ad hoc basis.
Appeals from the Royal Court lie to the Jersey Court of Appeal, which is presided over by three Judges of Appeal. These are drawn from the Bailiff and Deputy Bailiff of the island, together with certain eminent English Queen's Counsel. From the Court of Appeal, a further appeal may lie to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in London, which is Jersey's final court of appeal.
The Bailiff is also the President of the States, the island's own directly-elected government, which legislates for Jersey on all matters subject to the sanction of the Privy Council. The United Kingdom government is responsible for the island's international affairs and defence, but otherwise Jersey is autonomous. It is not part of the United Kingdom, and is not a member state of the European Union, although it is subject to certain limited provisions of the Treaty of Rome. Jersey is also separate and distinct from the other Channel Islands, which are governed by their own laws.
The executive officer of the court is known as the Viscount and his department deals with the enforcement of judgments and the administration of bankruptcies. Bankruptcy proceedings in Jersey are known as desastre proceedings, and this expression rather aptly describes the state in which an embarrassed debtor finds himself.
The administrative officer of the Royal Court is known as the Judicial Greffier. He and his assistant and deputy greffiers deal with matters that would be dealt with by the Masters in the English High Court. He also acts as clerk to the court.
The lower civil court is known as the Petty Debts Court, having a jurisdiction for claims of L2,500 ($3,875) and under. Procedure there is similar to, but less complicated than, that in the Royal Court. It is presided over by a stipendiary magistrate.
Rights of audience
With the exception of litigants in person, only Advocates of the Royal Court of Jersey have...