First ever virtual States meeting

Monday 13 April 2020

The States will hold its first virtual meeting on Tuesday afternoon so our deputies can debate the deferral of the 2020 election and other parliamentary business which needs to be urgently addressed as the corona virus lockdown continues.

The States last met on 18 March at St James, the week before the lockdown measures were put in place.

The social distancing measures used at that meeting were not deemed to go far enough in the current environment and the idea of a virtual meeting was mooted so that government matters could continue to be dealt with.

The States Assembly and Constitution Committee originally wanted its proposals for deferring the 2020 island-wide election until either October or, failing that, next June debated by the end of March.

Instead that and regulations made by the Bailiwick's Civil Contingencies Authority will take centre stage at the upcoming meeting.

The States will sit virtually on Tuesday afternoon from 2pm and it will not go on beyond 6pm.

— Christopher Green (@deputycgreen) April 9, 2020

Scrutiny President and Castel Deputy Chris Green said a trial run of a Microsoft Teams meeting was held last week, ahead of the real thing this coming week.

"There were some technical glitches, which were unsurprising in the circumstances, but I think overall it worked quite well. We did a mock debate on a change to the rules by SACC to ease ourselves into the way it works. We also then had a statement from Deputy Le Tocq on Brexit followed by questions.

"Microsoft Teams perhaps does not lend itself that well to complex parliamentary debates, but it is certainly ok for statements and question time; and for the more straightforward debates.

"I think generally it will be a facility that can allow relatively simple debates.

"We were given guidance during the course of the session but much of that was of a technical nature in the context of how to use Teams effectively."

 Pictured top: The most recent and socially distanced States meeting held at St James.