Royal Commission Civil Laws, Jersey (1861)

Author(s): Sir John Awdry (Chairman), the Earl of Devon, Richard Jebb, barrister.

Title: Report of the Commissioners appointed to inquire into the civil, municipal, and ecclesiastical laws of the island of Jersey

Remarks:

The Royal Commission inquiring into Jersey's civil law was appointed in 1859 following representations to HM Government by A.J. Le Cras and others. Although it is not utterly comprehensive, the Report's title indicates its content, compiled after the commissioners heard evidence from over 100 witnesses. Their recommendations resulted in States' legislation (see Kelleher, cited below, p. 343), save in the areas of the constitution and the removal of Jurats from the Royal Court. The Report includes valuable evidence concerning Guernsey, given by Adv. Peter Jeremie of that Bailiwick (paras 14,057-14,549). Edition(s) (this copy in bold): 1861 Provenance of this copy: St John Robilliard Collection.

Further reading:

J. Kelleher, The Triumph of the Country: the rural community in 19^th-century Jersey (2^nd edn, Jersey, 2017), pp. 335-347. G. Le Quesne, Jersey and Whitehall in the mid-nineteenth century (3^rd Joan Stevens Memorial Lecture, Jersey, 1992). G. Dawes, "Introduction" to G. Dawes (ed.), G. Terrien, Commentaires du Droict Civil (Guernsey, 2010), pp. 49-50.