About Helen
I came to Jersey as a baby and, living in St Brelade, I was one of the first pupils to attend Mont Nicolle primary school when it opened in 1970. I continued my education at St Lawrence, St Helier Girls, and Hautlieu. I am a strong believer in lifelong learning and have studied throughout my career, obtaining an Open University degree and a PhD in Criminal Justice for which I studied Jersey's unique Honorary Police and Parish Hall Enquiry system.
I lived in St Lawrence and St Clement for over 20 years and, in 2000, I returned to St Brelade with my husband Richard to raise our large family of sons in a three-generation home with my parents. As a family, we have a strong and proud record of public service. My father taught at Les Quennevais School for many years and three of our sons work in public sector roles. I spent 31 years working in Jersey’s public service – including for Customs and Immigration, Probation and Aftercare, and the States of Jersey Police. Richard was a Customs and Immigration Officer for 32 years. We care deeply about our Island home and have always sought to be part of community life, including through years of voluntary work with Autism Jersey, and with the Battle of Flowers.
I left the public service in 2018 and undertook a number of lecturing and voluntary roles, including as an independent member of the Public Accounts Committee.
In 2022, I was elected as a Deputy for St Brelade. As well as serving my parishioners and seeking to meet the commitments I made to improve the parish, I was appointed as Minister for Justice and Home Affairs. Since 2024, I have been the Chair of the Corporate Services Scrutiny Panel and Vice-President of the Scrutiny Liaison Committee. I also chaired the Parishes and Government Review Panel, which sought to recommend improvements which would strengthen the parish system – of which I am a great supporter – and I have been a member of the Children, Education, and Home Affairs Panel.
I am now seeking an Island-wide mandate so that I can use the experience I have gained throughout my professional career, and in politics, to deliver more improvements across the island. At this time of global instability, I believe I can offer unity, experience, and leadership for Jersey.
Biography
Family: Married to Richard with grown up sons
Education: Mont Nicolle, St. Lawrence, St. Helier Girls, Hautlieu, Universite de Rennes II, Open University, University of Wales, Swansea
Career: Investigative Officer – Customs and Immigration; Research and Information Manager – Probation Service; Director of Criminal Justice – States of Jersey Police; Policy Director – Government of Jersey.
I have also served as a member of the Public Accounts Committee and the Legal Aid Guidelines Advisory Committee, Vice-Chair of Autism Jersey, and a Visiting Lecturer at various institutions.
Political experience: Minister for Justice and Home Affairs; Chair of the Corporate Services Scrutiny Panel; Vice-President of the Scrutiny Liaison Committee; Chair of the Parishes and Government Review Panel; Member of the Children, Education and Home Affairs Scrutiny Panel; Executive Member of the Assemblée Parlementaire de la Francophonie.
Hobbies: Charity Trekking, Member of the Optimists Battle of Flowers Club, singing, dancing, walking.