About the Commissioner
Dr Carmel Corrigan is Jersey's Children's Commissioner. The Commissioner's job is to promote and protect the rights of children and young people in Jersey. To do this, she tells people about children and young people’s rights and why they are so important. She has a team of people who work with her to make this happen.
Together they look at how the decisions made by certain organisations in Jersey, including the Government of Jersey, affect children and young people’s rights. They also provide advice to those organisations about how they can better respect the rights of children and young people in their work.
The Children’s Commissioner works for every child and young person in Jersey who is:
- Under the age of 18
- Under the age of 25 if they have a disability, have been care experienced or have been involved with the youth justice system
- Placed off-island for their care or treatment
What are the Children's Commissioner's powers?
In 2019 a new law was created that established the role of the Children's Commissioner. This law is called the Commissioner for Children and Young People (Jersey) Law 2019.
It sets out the powers and actions the Commissioner can take. These include:
- Providing children and young people with information about their rights.
- Supporting children and young people to complain.
- Working with people and organisations who provide services to help them to solve any problems or complaints at the earliest opportunity.
- Asking for information from people providing services to children and young people.
- Visiting places where children and young people are cared for, accommodated or receive services and speak to them.
- Investigating cases where the rights of children and young people have not been respected and suggesting how things could be improved.
- Going to court for children and young people in certain circumstances.
- The Law also restricts what we can do. For example: We can’t give you legal advice.
- We can’t enter people’s private homes, unless they request us to.
- We can’t investigate anything relating to the decision-making of a court or tribunal.
- We can’t investigate anything currently before a court or tribunal.
Meet the Children’s Commissioner
Dr Carmel Corrigan
Children’s Commissioner for Jersey
Dr Carmel Corrigan is Jersey’s second Children’s Commissioner, appointed in March 2024 for a six-year term that runs until 2030. The Commissioner is an independent role established under the Commissioner for Children and Young People (Jersey) Law 2019, with the primary responsibility of promoting and protecting the rights of children and young people across the Island. The role involves raising awareness of children’s rights, reviewing how laws, policies and services affect children, and ensuring that children’s voices are heard in decisions that impact their lives.
Originally from the Republic of Ireland, Carmel has spent almost 30 years working in the field of children’s policy, law and rights. Before taking up her role in Jersey, she was Head of Participation and Rights Education at the Ombudsman for Children’s Office in Dublin, where she also worked as a complaints investigator. She brings extensive experience of championing children’s rights and strengthening the ways in which children and young people can influence policy and practice.
Who is she?
- Dr Carmel Corrigan is the Children’s Commissioner.
Her job
- Protect children’s rights
- Speak up for children
- Help children understand their rights
Who she helps
- All children under 18
Some young people up to 25
Powers
What she can do
- Explain children’s rights.
- Help children raise concerns.
- Ask questions to services.
- Visit places where children live.
What she cannot do
- Give legal advice.
- Go into private homes without permission.
- Change court decisions.