The Parish Hall Enquiry: A Community-Based Alternative to Formal Court Processing in the Channel Island of Jersey

Abstract

The Parish Hall Enquiry system in Jersey is of great antiquity and, like the Honorary Police system upon which it depends, its origins lie in very long-established forms of communal organization. Presided over by a ‘centenier’ (an elected, unpaid parish official) in the local parish hall, the current system has evolved through 800 years of customary practice. Enquiries have no basis in statute law and sanctions levied at Parish Hall are not considered to be criminal convictions. The centenier is empowered to enquire into the circumstances surrounding any offence committed within the boundaries of the parish, adjudicate upon the facts presented, and propose an appropriate penalty.