Review supports sex offender law

It is vital a sex offenders' law is introduced in Jersey without further delay, a scrutiny panel has said.

The law aims to manage the risk sex offenders pose to the public, and includes the setting up of a sex offenders register.

The Home Affairs Scrutiny Panel said it supported the legislation after its "brief review" of the draft law.

But the panel said it wanted to raise some areas of concerns with the States before the law is debated.

Areas of concern include the penalties for people involved in the unauthorised disclosure of information, and the amount of time offenders have to declare their conviction.

The Sex Offenders Jersey Law has gone through more than 30 drafts.

The panel was also concerned about the lack of community-based psychological support and behaviour treatment programmes available to offenders in Jersey.

A forensic psychologist should be hired to work with sex offenders and people worried about their sexual urges, the report added.