Justice Committee to take evidence from Ministers on the Government’s relationship with the Crown Dependencies
13 November 2023
The Justice Committee will hold an evidence session with Ministers from the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) and the Ministry of Justice as part of its inquiry into the UK Government’s constitutional relationship with the Crown Dependencies.
- Constitutional relationship with the Crown DependenciesWatch ParliamentTV:
- Inquiry: Constitutional relationship with the Crown Dependencies
- Justice Committee
Minister of State Greg Hands and Justice Minister Mike Freer will give evidence to the cross-party committee on their respective departments’ responsibilities for the Crown Dependencies (CDs).
Other topics to be explored during the session, include: departmental and ministerial responsibilities towards the CDs, the departmental staff working with the CDs, and communications and contact between them, the approach taken by the DBT to negotiating international agreements on behalf of the CDs, including the CPTPP (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership); the extension of UK legislation to the CDs; and the future relationship between the CDs and the UK Government.
Witnesses
Wednesday, 15 November 2023, Committee Room 6, Palace of Westminister
From 4:05pm
- Greg Hands, Minister of State, Department for Business and Trade, Department for Business and Trade
- Dr Gaynor Jeffery, Director for Core Policy, Delivery and European Region, Department for Business and Trade
- Mike Freer, Minister for Courts and Legal Services, Ministry of Justice
- Richard Mason, Deputy Director for Constitutional Policy, Ministry of Justice
The inquiry is examining the constitutional relationship between the UK Government and the Crown Dependencies of the Isle of Man, Guernsey and Jersey. The topics under consideration by the Committee include the working relationship between the CDs and the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), as well as their wider relationship with the UK Government.
It is also looking at their participation in international treaties, including Free Trade Agreements; the extension of UK legislation to the CDs; and the future constitutional relationship between the CDs and the UK Government.
Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man are self-governing dependencies of the Crown with their own directly elected legislative assemblies, administrative, fiscal and legal systems. The CDs have never been colonies of the UK nor are they Overseas Territories which have a different relationship with the UK. They are not represented in the UK Parliament.
The constitutional relationship between the three islands and the UK is maintained through the Crown and is not enshrined in any formal constitutional document. The King is the Head of State of each island and is represented in each by a Lieutenant-Governor. The UK Government is responsible for the defence and international relations of the islands, while the Crown, acting through Privy Council, is ultimately responsible for ensuring their ‘good government’.
Further information
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