THE chief minister is proposing new legislation that would require international treaties affecting the Island to be approved by the States Assembly before they can take effect.
The Draft Treaties (Jersey) Law is intended to formalise how treaties are entered into, extended to, or applied in Jersey, and to strengthen democratic oversight of international agreements.
According to a report accompanying Deputy Lyndon Farnham’s proposition, the law is designed to ensure that Jersey “should not be bound by treaties on which Jersey has not been consulted or that it does not wish to have applied to the Island”.
If approved, the legislation would require ministers to lodge treaty texts with the Assembly, alongside explanatory memoranda, allowing States Members to decide whether they should be approved or extended to Jersey.
The proposition states that the law “provides a natural next step in supporting Jersey’s separate international identity from that of the UK”, while recognising the Island’s “ever-growing need to participate in international affairs”.
Different procedures would apply depending on the type of treaty, including those negotiated under a UK “Letter of Entrustment”, treaties extended to Jersey following UK ratification, free trade agreements, and law enforcement treaties signed by the Attorney General.
In some cases, ministers would be prohibited from confirming compliance with treaty obligations unless States approval had been granted.
The report adds that the legislation offers “protective and clarificatory benefits” and would establish a “clear and orderly process for treaty extension and approval”.
No additional staffing or budget is expected to be required, with any extra work handled “within existing resources”.
The draft law is scheduled for debate in the States Assembly from 24 February 2026 at the earliest.
