During his nine years in Parliament, Michael was actively involved in the drafting and scrutiny of new laws for the United Kingdom. As a barrister, he knows the importance of creating laws that are effective, clear, and work within existing legal frameworks. Michael was therefore delighted to be contacted by the Environment Housing and Infrastructure Scrutiny Panel for the States of Jersey, and asked to be their Expert Advisor for their review of the Draft Residential Tenancy (Jersey) Amendment Law.
Due to the complexity and politicised nature of the Amendment Law, Michael was chosen to be an impartial and independent expert, bringing his considerable experience of regulatory law to the panel.
Michael had a number of tasks:
· To examine whether the draft legislation is fit for purpose and how it will meet its intended aims
· To identify any effects and/or unintended consequences of the draft legislation on tenants, landlords and letting agents and on the wider housing market
· To assess whether the draft legislation will be achievable and sufficiently flexible in its implementation
· To conduct a comparative, cross jurisdictional analysis of rent control and tenancy laws.
· To examine how the Rent Tribunal will work in practice, whether it meets its intended aims and assess any costs and resourcing implications to ensure there is adequate provision in place
Michael’s full report and recommendations can be read as part of the final report from the scrutiny panel on the State of Jersey website here: Draft-Residential-Tenancy-(Jersey)-Amendment-Law-202-S-R-3-2025-Final-Report.pdf
The panel said, “His input has been integral in testing the robustness of the Panel’s findings, identifying areas where the drafting may not fully reflect the Minister’s policy intent, and shaping recommendations to strengthen both the clarity and effectiveness of the legislation.”
