Guernsey deputy appeals against code of conduct report

It is understood the full report will be published once the appeal has been heard

Deputy Gavin St Pier is appealing against a finding that he broke the States of Guernsey Code of Conduct, the BBC understands.

Three complaints were made after he named Dr Sandie Bohin as one of the clinicians involved in an investigation into safeguarding concerns, which found no wrongdoing, in a speech last year.

A three-person panel recommended Mr St Pier was formally reprimanded.

He declined to comment on the report into the complaint and the appeal.

In a statement Mr St Pier said: "Under the code of conduct, a member is prohibited from commenting on the process until it concludes. It has not concluded so I cannot comment."

The report - recently seen by the BBC - was completed on 23 April.

The three complaints made against Mr St Pier were made from the British Medical Association (BMA), the Medical Specialist Group (MSG) and Dr Bohin.

'Factually wrong'

The complaint from the BMA surrounded the naming of Dr Bohin, stating it was "unnecessary, undermined people working in safeguarding in Guernsey, and led to Dr Bohin's successor as Named Doctor for Safeguarding resigning".

The MSG alleged Mr St Pier's statements in the States were "factually wrong" and "grossly unfair" to local medical practitioners involved.

Dr Bohin's complaint said the statements had a "catastrophic impact" on her, damaging her reputation and health.

One of the focuses of the code of conduct panel's investigation was whether the statements made by Mr St Pier about the care of his daughter and the involvement of Dr Bohin were true.

The panel found Mr St Pier's statements about his daughter's treatment were "seriously and fundamentally misleading".

According to the panel's report, Mr St Pier "acknowledges that Dr Bohin had no involvement in the case of his daughter including diagnosis".

He said he only mentioned Dr Bohin as she was the named Doctor for Safeguarding during his daughter's treatment.

They said the breaches of the code were serious, but said Mr St Pier did not deliberately mislead the States.

"Without in any way minimising other aspects, giving a misleading impression about what an individual such as Dr Bohin has done, without any right of comment or reply is obviously serious," it said.

Dr Bohin said she "wants to see a fair and open process and a conclusion soon".

Earlier this year Mr St Pier, who was the island's chief minister from 2016-2020, was cleared by a privileges panel, over whether he had abused parliamentary privilege during the same speech.

A spokesperson for the MSG said: "We received a copy of the report in May. We understand the process is ongoing because Deputy Gavin St Pier has appealed against the findings of the investigation panel. We cannot comment further until this has been resolved."

Once the appeal is settled, it is expected that a report will be published by the States Assembly and Constitution Committee for a States debate.

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