St Peter Port Constables

St Peter Port parish is part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey which includes the island of Guernsey and also the nearby islands of Alderney, Sark, Herm, Jethou, Brecqhou, and Lihou. The Bailiwick is divided into a number of parishes believed to have been established in the 11th century as religious areas, each parish having its own church.

Administration
Each parish is administered today by an elected council known as a Douzaine. It is the Douzeniers duty to look after the best interests of the parish and in the case of St Peter Port they are supported by a small team of the parish staff. Douzeniers are elected for a four-year mandate by parishioners at a parish meeting in November of each year. The senior Douzenier is known as the Doyen (Dean). To stand for election the candidate must reside in the Parish.

One or more Douzeniers represent the parish at the States of Election when a new Jurat is elected. Two elected Constables (French: Connétables) carry out the decisions of the Douzaine, serving for between one and three years. The longer-serving Constable is known as the Senior Constable and his or her colleague as the Junior Constable. Historically the Constables have been in existence since at least 1481 although their duties have been reduced over the centuries.