Guernsey’s Home Affairs has been caught sneaking laws past States Members (by a member of the public). Now, with its hand in the cookie jar, the Committee is scrambling. And they’ve roped in the Law Officers (‘LOs’) to help.
According to the Guernsey Grapevine, Home Affairs and the LOs want pre-charge bail (‘PCB’)—a system allowing police to slap any conditions they want on suspects before they’re even charged—to apply to all crimes, not just to domestic and sexual offences, for which PCB was intended. Why? Because they’re worried rapists, terrorists, or your garden-variety violent criminal will suddenly sprint into your homes to hide. Yes, you read that right. Confused? That’s because it makes no sense.
It’s a straw man argument and a weak one at that; it couldn’t stand up to a fart. PCB has serious flaws: there’s no evidence it works; breaching PCB isn’t even a crime; and it’s never faced proper parliamentary scrutiny. Home Affairs knows this. And when the Committee can’t defend its position with facts, it resorts to bullying and fear tactics: “What about the rapists/terrorist/[insert unspeakable crime here]? Don’t you care about victims?!” It’s a cheap trick to shamelessly bully Deputies into keeping quiet.
With an election looming, any Deputy brave enough to challenge this absurdity risks being smeared as a cheerleader for criminals. Rob Prow, who I have been repeatedly told “is Home Affairs,” will make damn sure of it.
But the election is coming. If we let this slide, any Deputy who dares question Home Affairs will be branded a monster by Rob Prow and his Committee. But here’s the truth: saying “no” to Prow or bad, ill-thought out laws doesn’t make you somehow in league with violent offenders—it makes you right for Guernsey.
We need leaders who’ll fight for us, not fold under bully boy tactics. People ask who I’m voting for. My answer: any Deputy with the guts to dismantle these unnecessary laws and stare down Prow without flinching. We should all demand better. Our island’s future depends on it.