Members selected for Jersey historical abuse inquiry

Mr Cameron and Ms Leslie will hear from victims and witnesses, if the States ratify their selection

Two members have been chosen to sit on the committee conducting an inquiry into historical abuse in Jersey.

Sandy Cameron and Alyson Leslie will join the committee's chair, Frances Oldham QC, if their selection is ratified by States members in December.

The panel will then be ready to begin hearing from victims of abuse and other witnesses early next year.

Ms Oldham said the two chosen candidates shared her vision of a "non-adversarial atmosphere".

Mr Cameron is a former chairman of the Parole Board for Scotland and a former director of social services.

Ms Leslie has chaired and advised on cases of abuse and child fatalities in the UK and worked on an inquiry in the Isle of Man in the 1990s.

She has also drafted procedural guidelines for the conduct of public inquiries that have been widely used in the UK.

Both were chosen after interviews held by a panel including Ms Oldham, the States Greffier Michael de la Haye, Belinda Smith - the senior legal counsel at the NSPCC - and Ed Marsden from consultants Verita.

The £6m inquiry will investigate allegations of abuse in children's homes and fostering services from 1960 to the present day.