The fate of Jersey's most senior politican remains unclear after he failed again to appear in the Island's Magistrates Court this morning.
Senator Stuart Syvret is in self-imposed exile in the UK because he claims he cannot get a fair trial in Jersey where he faces charges relating to breaches of the Data Protection Law and driving offences. The charges carry a maximum total fine of £5,500.
Senator Syvret claims the court is biased and 'politicised' and is therefore stacked against him. He was due to appear this morning to put his case as to why he does not believe the court will give him a fair hearing, but failed to show. Instead he is in London preparing a case against the Justice Minister Jack Straw for failing to ensure a fair judicial system exists in Jersey.
The Senator was on bail of £100, which he has not paid, and this morning Magistrate Bridget Shaw was left with little alternative but to order his arrest. The Magistrate has no power to hear the case in the absence of the defendant.
It is up to the Law Officers Department now to decide whether to execute that order. They will have to get it approved by a UK judge before authorities there can enforce it. Senator Syvret claims he will not return to the Island until the judicial system changes. That leaves the situation in something of a stalemate unless local authorities decide to pursue the arrest order.
If Senator Syvret DOES return voluntarily to the island, he will immediately be taken into custody and brought before the court as soon as possible. In the meantime he remains a guest of UK Lib Dem MP John Hemming at his London flat.
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Posted By: james on 10-Nov-2009
Having read the transcripts of the court cases to date, it would appear that Syvret has been treated with a far greater degree of respect, tolerance and courtesy by his hated judiciary than many of the victims of his blog based character assassinations ever have.
It would also be interesting, in the light of the Senators arrest order, to have a view of John Hemming’s legal position in view of his ongoing determination to harbour the people of Jersey’s fugitive representative.
I assume Stuart will also support the rights of those accused of Child abuse to flee the island to seek justice elsewhere because they view their cases as tainted by his, and his followers, continual interference with, and second guessing of, our judicial system.
Posted By: James St Helier on 10-Nov-2009
I agree with Paul. If Mr Syvret is so correct and is as a whistle blower for the better justice in Jersey then why does he not have the bottle to take all his claims to the national Media against all the people he has shown a personal hatred for to date and do proper interviews on all his claims? Why waste all these accusations against people on a blog that hardly anybody bothers to read or care for anymore apart from a select half dozen people who cannot see the wood for the trees? He has been challenged in the States to do this and he but hasn’t, he has been challenged on other forums to do this together with another infamous blogger and still hasn’t, so just ask yourselves why? What is he scared of?
Posted By: Paul Letherbarrow on 10-Nov-2009
Chantal, I think Mr Syvret has been making enough judgements of people on his blog to date without so much as even asking them never mind hearing him. The man is a total hipocrite, a disgrace to Jersey and the sooner he is sacked now and his blog closed down the better.
Posted By: Chantal St Helier on 10-Nov-2009
I am shocked at how many people feel free to make a judgement about this situation WITHOUT knowing the facts! Well done Chris from Grouville to suggest we read the court transcripts before making a judgement. My view of this is that it smacks of whistle blower being bullied. As a stress managment consultant I have seen this happen so many times, and this chap is displaying all the symptoms of chronic stress which is no doubt affecting his behaviour and therefore not helping his case. Unfortunately Jersey attitudes are so fuelled with bigotry I doubt he will ever get a decent hearing-especially from the public for whom he is trying to improve things.!
Posted By: Richard, St Helier on 10-Nov-2009
For Senator Syvret to be claiming asylum in the UK is an insult to all those millions of people in the world who are denied basic human rights in their own countries - those in Burma, Zimbabwe, Darfur, Tibet and Iran to name a few. To people like Jill in Grouville I say - please don't insult us ordinary Jersey people by saying Stuart Syvret has no human rights here in Jersey. We live in a Paradise compared to many billions who live in real poverty and genuine fear of starvation or torture or death. To the States of Jersey on behalf of so many Jersey people i say - please start the process of removing Senator Syvret from the States, the island population needs justice and peace and harmony, which will not be achieved by the angry and aggressive Senator Syvret.
Posted By: Paul on 10-Nov-2009
Always amazes me how people get their knickers in a twist about breaking the law. There is such a thing as civil disobediance, though I doubt the dumb apathetic masses in Jersey have any concept of this, as the pitiful election turn-outs show.
What might their Grandparents say, having "broken the law" during the occupation?
Is the current oligarchy in any way similar to the Nazi regime? Discuss...
Would the Berlin Wall have come down without someone "breaking the law"?
Or am i being naive?
Posted By: George Palin (England) on 10-Nov-2009
Self imposed exile? A person is in exile how they got there in not the important and why is the most important.
It is too late for the Jersey Press to start supporting Stuart and they know it, so all they can do is keep backing a morally stagnant bunch of greedy frightened old man to stop the secret getting out...
Far too late for that...
Posted By: Alan St Sampsons on 10-Nov-2009
Jill - Grouville you stated "For those who still don't understand what this is all about Stuart is not running away from charges against him, he is fighting for a fair and unbiased trial"
Now please forgive me if I am wrong, but I don't think I am, but has not the Deputy been summonsed to appear before the Magistrate for a number of offences including an alleged breach of Data Protection and driving offences relating to him not having a valid license? If that is the case then how can you say that he is fighting for a fair and balanced trial, when if he runs away he surely cannot be fighting for what you say he is, if he were true to that idea he would fight for it in the jurisdiction where it is alleged he broke the Law.
All this rubbish about fair trials is to hide behind the fact that in reality, he has no defence to the alleged offences and is using this as his defence and is using the media and public to help his cause.
It is sheer folly to think he will not get a fair trial, the court system, despite what the Deputy states will give him a fair chance and unbiased trial, the sitting judge will decide on the facts given by the prosecution and defence and make their decision accordingly. The prosecution will simply have to prove that did the Deputy drive without valid licence, yes or no? Pretty easy to prove, so come back to the Island Deputy Syvret and face the court and put his behind you. I thought some of your ideas at first were quite sensible, but not any more.
If
Posted By: Linda St. Saviour on 10-Nov-2009
This man is single-handedly fighting for justice and OUR basic Human Rights.
You may think he has jumped ship, but when the ship only goes from Jersey to Guernsey and back again in an eternal circle, sometimes one has to jump off in order to get on the ship that passes the Islands as it heads to Strasborg.
He has had no other way to do this.
The judiciary could say 'we don't think you have a case', and that would be where it ends.
I admire him no end for standing up for what is right, and I am eternally grateful for his personal sacrifice, and all the flack he has had to put up with fighting my corner, and YOURS!
Posted By: James St Helier on 10-Nov-2009
Nobody can back people that break the law, otherwise and think about it, how can then possibly demand justice on others? It just does not add up and other law breakers can capitalise on such a hypocritical suggestion which some of these posters seem to be missing, call it a double edged sword and as most of Jersey’s populace is law abiding the stance of the Senator will never be looked upon by the majority with any compassion. One thing I would like to know now is though, what is the Chief Minister going to do about this situation? We have heard nothing and we should have a statement on what he intends doing about a States Member, on full pay, AWOL and with an automatic arrest order on is head?
Posted By: kate St Martins on 10-Nov-2009
No this guy is not setting a good example, however on the flip side if lots of people never answered their charges in court and fled the island think what a saving to the island that would be (£52,0000 pa ) per HMP inmate. Plus these undersirables would never come back for fear of arrest.
Posted By: Julie, St Mary on 10-Nov-2009
Stop giving this LAW BREAKER anymore free publicity. The only people that support him can only be law breakers themselves. Sentaor Ben Shenton was right about this fugitive all along. No doubt Jack Straw's office will be laughing later in the week, total stupidness on another level.
Posted By: Jill - Grouville on 10-Nov-2009
Chris - Grouville - An excellent post and 'spot-on'. For those who still don't understand what this is all about Stuart is not running away from charges against him, he is fighting for a fair and unbiased trial - his human right. If any of those who oppose what he is doing care to read the transcripts of his Court appearances to date they will see that thus far it has been shown that this will not happen. This is not just about Senator Syvret, but for all of us.
He has already been subjected to trial by media, and has courage and strength beyond what a lot of his detractors display.
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09/11/2009
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