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WITH no lack of pomp and ceremony, mixed with some good humour and a little head-scratching for those not used to such occasions, the Island’s new Bailiff was sworn in yesterday. Robert MacRae took the oath of office in the Royal Court in front of an audience that formed the very definition, in a Jersey ceremonial context, of the great and the good. Having been led into court by Jurat Jane Ronge and Chief Minister Lyndon Farnham, representing the dual role as head of the judiciary and president of the States Assembly, the Island’s 91st Bailiff presented the paperwork, officially known as the “letters patent”, from King Charles III confirming his appointment. The Monarch’s memo, read out by Attorney General Mark Temple, lined up “our trusty and well-beloved Robert James MacRae” to “make, ordain and constitute by these presents to have, hold exercise and enjoy the said office by himself or by his sufficient deputy or deputies”. Given that he has just been appointed to Mr MacRae’s former role, Mr Temple may have winced inside at the faint praise implied by the phrase “sufficient deputy”, but there was no outward sign of this. And he continued to outline the Royal appointment by outlining the King’s directive that the new Bailiff could remain in office until his 70th birthday in March 2038, “so long as he shall well behave himself”. After taking the oath, the appointee briefly left court in order to don his robes while casting off the title of “Bailiff designate”, returning to be congratulated by what must have been 40 or 50 handshakes from Jurats, senior court officials and other luminaries. The audience in court was described by the new man as “squeezed in like sardines”. Police Chief Robin Smith was there, though I didn’t spot his fire service counterpart, perhaps making himself scarce in case anyone mentioned “fire limits”. Four previous incumbents, stretching back more than three decades, watched on, as did the current holder of the same office in Guernsey. And never mind the Bailiffs; also on parade were the Lieutenant-Governor, the Dean of Jersey, the First Deemster of the Isle of Man and the head of the Crown Dependencies Team in Westminster. A massive throng of lawyers was also present, along with friends and former colleagues of Mr MacRae, and family members including his partner Chantel, children, and his parents George and Sheila. There was even a chance to wish happy returns to Mr MacRae senior on his 84th birthday, although his son then broke the news that he hadn’t got the old man a present. Given it was only 11.15am, I wanted to shout “there’s still time, De Gruchy’s close at half five!” from the back. But decided against. Lessons from history were cited by several speakers, including Lieutenant Bailiff Robert Christensen’s account of the Bailiff’s assertion of the rule of law in the late 13th century in the wake of “troublesome Jurats”, reassuring everyone that “today’s Jurats are altogether more amenable”. And Mr Temple described the steadying-hand of the Bailiff over the past 80-odd years during events like the Second World War, Britain’s entry to the European Economic Community – the subsequent exit wasn’t mentioned – and the Covid pandemic. Advocate Mike Preston, who holds the title of Bâttonier (head barman, or head of the Jersey Bar to be precise) also contributed, briefly sparking fears that he was about to deliver a Best Man-style roasting when he referenced “a great many hilarious after-dinner stories” about Mr MacRae, such as one involving a pizza and a trouser press that was a particular favourite. “Don’t go there”, everyone thought to themselves, and thankfully the Bâttonier resisted. There were other gems too numerous to mention in detail; about the man of the moment owning a life-size dalek, taking part in a break-dancing lesson and winning a signed hat at a Basil Brush convention held at the Merton Hotel. You couldn’t have made it up. It seemed only right that the Bailiff be called last to show off the dry sense of humour referenced by most, if not all, of the earlier speakers. “I’d like to close with one of the many kind messages I’ve been sent,” he concluded. “It reads ‘dear Robert, who needs luck when you’ve got talent? Good luck with the new job’.”
