Jurat

The jurats (/ˈdʒʊəræt, ˈʒʊərɑː/) are lay people in Guernsey and Jersey who act as judges of fact rather than law, though they preside over land conveyances and liquor licensing.

Under the Ancien Régime in France, in several towns, of the south-west, such as La Rochelle and Bordeaux, the jurats were members of the municipal body.

In Guernsey and Jersey, the jurats, as lay people, are judges of fact rather than law, though they preside over land conveyances and liquor licensing.

In Alderney, however, the jurats are judges of both fact and law (assisted by their learned clerk) in both civil and criminal matters.

Jurats also sit on the Island's Licensing Assembly (which grants liquor licences)[4] and customarily serve as autorisés to oversee polling at public elections and declare the results.

[6] In 2009, a report raised concerns about potential conflicts of interests, and recommended that membership of the board should include independent members of the public.