[8] In July 2005, the Policy and Resources Committee of the States of Jersey established the Constitutional Review Group, with terms of reference 'to conduct a review and evaluation of the potential advantages and disadvantages for Jersey in seeking independence from the United Kingdom or other incremental change in the constitutional relationship, while retaining the Queen as Head of State'.

Bailhache was invited to chair the Group, which produced a 'Second Interim Report' in December 2007, presented to the States by the Council of Ministers in June 2008.

[9] He said the following in his May 2008 Liberation Day speech about international reporting of child abuse investigations on the island: His words were condemned by a support group for those who grew up in care on Jersey.

[12] A vote of no-confidence in the Bailiff was proposed by Jersey Democratic Alliance member Deputy Shona Pitman on 15 July 2008, citing his speech and the fact he allowed a convicted paedophile - Roger Holland - to remain an honorary policeman in 1992 after being told about him.

[17] He was an active member of the Commonwealth Magistrates and Judges' Association and became its Executive Vice-President in September 2009, following the retirement of Sir Henry Brooke.

In 2010, he set up the CMJA Endowment Trust, a charity advising and financially supporting judicial independence and training in Commonwealth countries.

[citation needed] In 2016, referring to Roger Holland's earlier conviction, Bailhache told the Independent Jersey Care Inquiry that more was known about paedophiles now, saying, "It was reasonable to conclude he had been re-habilitated.

In 2009, Bailhache and his wife were among prominent islanders to give public support to a campaign to introduce civil partnerships for gay people in Jersey.

[20] For many years, Bailhache has promoted reconciliation between the peoples of Jersey and Germany, especially in Bad Wurzach, where many islanders were interned during the Second World War.

[21] In written evidence to Lord Carswell's 2010 inquiry into reform of Jersey's Crown Officers, including the role of the Bailiff,[22] Bailhache concluded that "the current system works extremely well and there is no reason for change".

[26] Bailhache has called for changes to the Channel Islands' relationship with the United Kingdom government, arguing that "at the very least, we should be ready for independence if we are placed in a position where that course was the only sensible option".

[29] The JLC garnered sufficient support to field candidates in the 2022 Jersey general election, and entered into a coalition with the Progress Party.