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Guernsey's former Chief Minister, and the first island wide election poll topper, has been formally reprimanded by the Bailiff after breaching the States Members Code of Conduct.
It's after he named Dr Sandie Bohin during a speech relating to the regulation and appraisal of medical professionals in April 2022.
Deputy St Pier had asked the States to allow debate on what he called “a brief, formal, technocratic, rather dry and anodyne annual report” about the regulation and revalidation of doctors. He claimed the report “masks the presence of failings which I now know, sadly from personal experience, have existed since at least 2015”.
In that same speech he was critical of Dr Bohin in her role as head of safeguarding at the time.
Pictured: (inset) Dr Sandie Bohin and Deputy Gavin St Pier.
While Deputy St Pier was cleared of abusing parliamentary privilege in naming Dr Bohin, he was found guilty of breaching the States Members Code of Conduct after three separate complaints were made by Dr Bohin, the MSG, and the Guernsey and Alderney branch of the British Medical Association.
Having exhausted all his avenues of appeal, Deputy St Pier faced a formal reprimand for his actions.
Before that happened, the matter was put to his political colleagues for approval.
They could have sided with Deputy St Pier and voted down a Report by the Guernsey Appeals Commissioner, which had upheld the Code of Conduct breaches and recommended the formal reprimand. However, 32 deputies voted for the Report and therefore for the reprimand.
None of his political colleagues opposed the reprimand, but three chose to 'Ne Vote Pas', meaning they did not vote for or against it. Deputy St Pier and Deputy Neil Inder did not vote at all, while three deputies were absent for the vote.
Pictured: States Members voting records can be found at gov.gg.
As the States debated the Report by the Guernsey Appeals Commission on Wednesday afternoon, Deputy St Pier only rose to raise a point of correction during Deputy Liam McKenna's speech.
He said that a letter that Deputy McKenna started to read out - written by former Guernsey paediatrician Dr Clare Betteridge - was libellous. That letter - recently received by Express - made allegations of interference against both Deputy St Pier and his wife that have not previously been raised publicly.
Deputy St Pier acknowledged that it was ironic that he tried to stop Deputy McKenna using his own parliamentary privilege to read out the letter, but he felt moved to speak out, even though he had not intended to speak during the debate at all.
Despite a challenge to his speech from Deputy Peter Ferbrache, the Bailiff allowed Deputy St Pier to speak - which he did, to defend both himself and his wife against the allegations made by Dr Betteridge, who retired and left the island earlier this year.
Other deputies to speak during the debate on upholding the Report by the Guernsey Appeals Commission included Deputy Al Brouard - the Health and Social Care President - who said he hopes that lessons will be learnt for the future.
Deputy Andrew Taylor also spoke to raise some points from the Report, which clarified that Deputy St Pier had not acted with malice in naming Dr Bohin in his speech in April 2022.
While Deputy Brouard was among those backing the formal reprimand for Deputy St Pier, Deputy Taylor chose 'Ne Vote Pas'.
Following the majority vote in favour of the Report, the formal reprimand was issued with the Bailiff saying: "Deputy St Pier, it's now my duty to advise you that you are hereby formally reprimanded."
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St Pier cleared of abuse of privilege
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