Philip Bailhache

Bailhache was born in Jersey and was educated at St. Michael's Preparatory School and Charterhouse School, England.

His grandfather was a Jersey solicitor and served as Deputy for Grouville. His father was Lester Vivian Bailhache MA (1910–2005), a barrister called to the English Bar and an advocate in Jersey, he was Deputy of St Clement and subsequently a Jurat of the Royal Court of Jersey who served as Lieutenant-Bailiff of Jersey 1980–1982.[3]

Bailhache read Law at the University of Oxford, was called to the English Bar in 1968 and the Jersey Bar in 1969. He practised from the family law firm, Bailhache and Bailhache in Hill Street, St Helier.

His brother, William Bailhache, was appointed HM Attorney General in 2000 and Deputy Bailiff in 2009, and he was sworn in as Bailiff on 29 February 2015.[4]

Bailhache was elected to the States of Jersey as deputy of Grouville in 1972, resigning his seat in 1975 on his appointment as Solicitor General.

In 2009, Bailhache and his wife were among prominent islanders to give public support to a campaign to introduce civil partnerships for gay people in Jersey.[15] For many years, Bailhache has promoted reconciliation between the peoples of Jersey and Germany, especially in Bad Wurzach, where many islanders were interned during the Second World War.[16]

In written evidence to Lord Carswell's 2010 inquiry into reform of Jersey's Crown Officers, including the role of the Bailiff,[17] Bailhache concluded that "the current system works extremely well and there is no reason for change".[18]

In July 2011, he announced that he was standing in the elections for the four vacant Senatorial seats in Jersey's October 2011 general election.[19] He came top of the poll, receiving 17,538 votes (80.2% of votes cast).[20] He subsequently stood for election to the post of Chief Minister, but was defeated by 27 votes to 24 by Ian Gorst on 14 November 2011.[21]

Bailhache has called for changes to the Channel Islands' relationship with the United Kingdom government, arguing that "at the very least, we should be ready for independence if we are placed in a position where that course was the only sensible option".[22]

On 7 March 2012, the States appointed Bailhache as chairman of Jersey's Electoral Commission.[23] The Electoral Commission was set up to examine the constitution of the States Assembly.

On 24 June 2021, Bailhache announced he would launch a new political party called the Jersey Liberal Conservatives.[24]

The JLC garnered sufficient support to field candidates in the 2022 Jersey general election, and entered into a coalition with the Progress Party.[25]

In 1989 he became one of the first two Queen's Counsel learned in the law of Jersey.[26] He received a knighthood in the 1996 Birthday Honours.[27] In 2006, he was awarded[28] l'Ordre de la Pléiade (Grand Officier class) by l'Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie. He is an honorary fellow of Pembroke College, Oxford (elected 1995) and an Honorary Bencher of the Middle Temple (2003).

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