Editing Politics of Jersey (section)

=== Jersey Revolution: division of the legislature and judiciary ===
{{Main|Corn Riots}}
During the late 17th century, the Governors and Bailiffs were generally absent - the Governor [[Henry Lumley]] never visited the island at all during his time in office and after the death of Sir [[Edouard de Carteret]], no bailiff was appointed for five years. The eventual successor [[Charles de Carteret]] faced large opposition, especially from his own tenants in [[Saint Ouen, Jersey|St. Ouen]]. A group of jurats complained to the [[Privy Council of England|Privy Council]] that de Carteret was absent and not well accustomed to the law and culture of the island. Charles attempted to oppose this by blocking sittings of the Jurats in court, claiming they could not sit since they were related to the plaintiff or defendant (which they most often were since everyone in Jersey was somehow related to one another).<ref name="BHJ24"/>{{Rp|164–5}} By 1750, the Bailiffship had de facto become a hereditary position in the de Carteret family. Absences of the de Carterets and all other high-ranking posts left [[Charles Lempière]], the Lieutenant Bailiff, in effective full control over the island. Lempière was a Parliamentarian, but by temperament was autocratic. His family had significant power with a number of high-ranking roles in the island and he issued ordinances and quashed protest through his court.<ref name="BHJ24"/><sup>:195</sup> Democratic representation was not present in the island's political system, with only wealthier men able to vote for [[Connétables]], with those men filling the roles with their relatives.<ref name=":5">{{Cite report |url=https://www.theislandwiki.org/index.php/The_Revolution_of_1769 |title=Revolution of 1769: Appendix to the report to the States, reproduced by the Island Wiki |last=Dun |first=Michael |date=2012 |access-date=28 November 2021 |archive-date=23 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210923140057/https://www.theislandwiki.org/index.php/The_Revolution_of_1769 |url-status=live }}</ref>

 A revolt, known as the Corn Riots or the Jersey Revolution, occurred in 1769. They were centred around the balance of power between the island's parliament, [[States Assembly|the States]], and the [[Royal Court (Jersey)|Royal Court]], both of which had powers to create legislation. An anti-Seigneurial sentiment - opposition to the feudal economic system - also contributed to the popular revolt. The spark for the riots was a corn shortage, in part caused by corruption in the ruling classes, led by the Lieutenant Bailiff Charles Lemprière, whose style of rule was authoritarian.<ref name=":522">{{Cite report |url=https://www.theislandwiki.org/index.php/The_Revolution_of_1769 |title=Revolution of 1769: Appendix to the report to the States, reproduced by the Island Wiki |last=Dun |first=Michael |date=2012 |access-date=28 November 2021 |archive-date=23 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210923140057/https://www.theislandwiki.org/index.php/The_Revolution_of_1769 |url-status=live }}</ref> On 28 September 1769, men from the northern parishes marched into town and rioted, including breaking into the Royal Court in a threatening manner. The States retreated to Elizabeth Castle and called on the Privy Council for help under false pretences. The Council sent five companies of Royal Scots, who discovered the islanders' grievances.<ref name="BHJ24"/>

The protestors demands include reductions in price of wheat and the abolition of certain, or all, Seigneurial privileges. In reaction, the Crown issued the Code of 1771, which attempted to separate the island's judiciary and legislature.<ref name=":222"/>{{rp|19}} After the petitions of Le Geyt, the English authorities instructed that peace and reform should be brought to the island. Bentinck became Lieutenant Governor and introduced important reforms. The Royal Court was no longer a lawmaking body and all legislative power was vested in the States. With the fixing in 1771 of the ''Code des Lois'' it was established that the States had a legislative monopoly, and the lawmaking powers of the Royal Court were removed (''see quote below'').<ref name="jerseylaw13">{{cite web |date=2012-03-08 |title=Code of 1771 |url=https://www.jerseylaw.je/laws/current/Pages/15.120.aspx |website=[[Jersey Legal Information Board]] |access-date=2012-10-01 |df=dmy-all |archive-date=18 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240418132150/https://www.jerseylaw.je/laws/current/Pages/15.120.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":223" /> The ''Code'' of 1771 laid down for the first time in one place the extant laws of Jersey.<ref name="BHJ24"/><sup>:199</sup>

{{Blockquote|text="no Laws or Ordinances whatsoever, which may be made provisionally or in view of being afterwards asserted to by His Majesty in Council, shall be passed but by the whole Assembly of the States of [Jersey]"}}