THE FORMER senior partner of a leading Jersey law firm has been cleared of improper conduct over his role in the drawing up of the island's controversial limited liability partnership (LLP) law.
Reg Jeune, a prominent Jersey politician, was accused of improperly fast tracking the new law by a fellow member of the Jersey parliament – the States of Jersey – when it emerged that his old firm had lobbied for its swift adoption.
The controversy surrounded Jeune's role as chair of Jersey's senior parliamentary committee, the policy and resources committee.
In 1995 the committee allowed proposals for an LLP law to be included at short notice in the island's law drafting programme.
It later emerged that Mourant du Feu & Jeune, where Jeune is still a consultant, had lobbied hard for the law on behalf of UK clients Price Waterhouse and Ernst & Young.
The committee of inquiry, which was set up to examine the way in which the law was prepared, absolved Jeune from improper conduct.
It ruled that Jeune, who retired from the policy and resources committee last year, had nothing to gain from the passage of the law and that, given the information he had at the time, it was not unreasonable for him to continue to chair the LLP discussions.
During the inquiry, Mourant du Feu & Jeune partner Ian James said he had informed Jeune of the practice's involvement in the passage of the bill, but emphasised that he did not believe it constituted a conflict of interest.
