The Administrative Decisions (Review) (Guernsey) Law, 1986, as amended provides members of the public with a route through the "Review Board" process to challenge actions and decisions of a States' Committee or body. The purpose of a Review Board is to decide if something significant has "gone wrong" when the decision was made or action taken rather than the lower threshold of "this would be the better decision the Committee or body should have made".
Requesting a Review Board
- The Review Board process should only be used after you have exhausted all of the internal formal complaints procedures of the States' Committee or States' body concerned. Please contact the specific States' Committee or States' body against which you are making a complaint as soon as possible if you have not already done so. It is best that together, the States' Committee or States' body concerned and you use every opportunity to try to resolve the issue first, wherever possible, before you decide to escalate the complaint to this next stage of the States' overall complaints process.
- A Review Board cannot overturn the decision or act in question. If the Review Board upholds your complaint, it can only request the States' Committee or body concerned to reconsider its decision or action. The States' Committee or States' body is not bound to follow the findings of the Review Board. Should the Review Board remain dissatisfied with the States' Committee's or States' body subsequent actions, it may refer the matter to the States for a decision. In practice, States' committees and bodies respect a Review Board's decision.
- For further detailed information on the Review Board process, please see the Guidance Notes and a copy of the "The Administrative Decisions (Review) Guernsey Law, 1986" in the "Downloads" section.
- If, having exhausted the States' Committee or States' body internal complaints procedures, you remain dissatisfied with the outcome, you may consider applying for a review of that decision and act in writing, addressed to Principal Officer to the Complaints Panel, Sir Charles Frossard House, La Charroterie, St Peter Port, Guernsey GY1 1FH or by email: reviewboard@gov.gg . It is important please to include all of the documents in support of your complaint with your letter (i.e. all letters between you and the States' Committee or States' body concerned, the decision you wish to challenge etc.).
- Please feel free to contact the Principal Officer, Lisette Ellis or the Deputy Principal Officer, Elizabeth Dene, if you require further information on the process (telephone - 717000) or by email - reviewboard@gov.gg .
Review Board Decisions
- The decisions of Review Boards held during the past 5 years are available on this page.
- Please note no Review Boards have been convened to determine a complaint in the past 5 years.
The independent Complaints Panel
- In March 2016, the Policy Council laid recommendations to reform the law governing the Review Board process before the States of Deliberation. The Policy Letter and States' resolutions can be downloaded from this page.
- In June 2019, the Royal Court registered the Administrative Decisions (Review) (Guernsey) (Amendment) Law, 2018 which establishes a Complaints Panel to investigate complaints made under the Law and, where the grounds for referring a matter to the Chairman of the Panel of Members are satisfied, to so refer the complaint.
- On 25th September 2019, the States of Deliberation appointed Advocate Michael Adkins as the Chairman of the Complaints Panel and Jenny Benjamin, Audrey Branch, Roy Burke, Ian Carter, Shelaine Green, David Harry, Boyd Kelly and Julia White as members of the Complaints Panel. Please click here for link to Policy Letter.
- On 14 July 2021, the States of Deliberation appointed 11 additional members to the Panel, namely Christopher Bound, Thomas Carey, Andrew Castle, Richard Denton, Simon Florance, Zoe Lihou, Joanne May, George Riley, Lisa Vizia and Gayla Wright. Please click here for the link to the Policy Letter.
