Ozouf suspended from Jersey States for third time

A politician has been suspended from Jersey's States Assembly for a third time in six months.

Deputy Philip Ozouf was found to have breached the code of conduct after he was sentenced for immigration offences last month.

The Privileges and Procedures Committee, which oversees the behaviour of politicians, brought the proposal - 34 politicians voted to suspend him, five voted against and six abstained.

Ozouf declined to comment when approached by the BBC.

The deputy will now be suspended for 28 days without pay for breaching the code of conduct.

Deputy Sir Philip Bailhache tried to get the assembly to postpone the debate as Ozouf was unwell but his proposal was rejected.

Ozouf was previously suspended from the States in September for breaking the code of conduct linked to speeding offences and in November as a "neutral act" until court proceedings against him concluded.

In February, Ozouf was sentenced to 120 hours of community service after pleading guilty to four counts of assisting unlawful immigration and one count of attempting to assist unlawful immigration.

The committee which brought the proposition said it considered the suspension to be "proportionate" as the deputy's actions had shown a "lack of regard for the island's laws and judicial process" which had "damaged the integrity and reputation of the assembly".

Deputy Jonathan Renouf, who supported the proposal, said: "The deputy has made choices, the situation need not be debated if the deputy had removed himself from the assembly, as any other member would have done.

"That is a conscious choice by the deputy, he has been urged by multiple people to take that course of action but he has chosen not to."

Deputy Montfort Tadier said that it was important to remember Ozouf's immigration offences were not "victimless crimes".

Deputy Bailhache argued "Ozouf has done wrong and he has been punished by the Royal Court for that wrong".

"This proposition takes no account of the fact that Ozouf has already been punished by the assembly for this," he said.

"In November, he was suspended for a period of 12 weeks, I hope no-one says that was a neutral act - neutral it might have been according to the standing orders but it was a humiliating punishment."

Health Minister Tom Binet said members needed to bear in mind Ozouf was struggling with his mental health and he compared the debate in the assembly with the Lord of the Flies.

"Rarely have I seen someone in such a dreadful mess," he said.

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