Department Background and History

The Official Analyst’s Laboratory is a specialist unit under the direction of the Official Analyst, who holds this statutory appointment of the States of Jersey. His qualifications, duties and responsibilities are defined in legislation. In compliance with his statutory duties the Official Analyst reports his findings and opinion to the enforcement authorities. Certificates issued are legal documents that can be produced in Court and on many occasions the Official Analyst is required to appear in both the Magistrate’s and Royal Court as an expert witness.

The first Official Analyst was appointed in 1884 and worked from laboratories at 100 Halkett Place. The work was mainly on the quality of spirits regulated by the Law on Publicans and hence the connection with the Finance and Economics Committee. However this soon expanded to include food and water analysis. The laboratories were moved to Pier Road in 1958 and this period saw an increasing amount of forensic work for the police. Today approximately half of the work carried out be the department is forensic analysis and the remainder falls loosely under the umbrella of environmental and consumer protection work.

At present the laboratory employs seven full time scientific staff, of which four are graduate status and above, supplemented by administrative and support staff. In the complexity of consumer and environmental protection in a technological society, there is a need for qualified staff to be able to operate sophisticated instrumentation but with an understanding of the significance of analytical data produced. The establishment includes biological, spectroscopy, chromatography, water, microbiology and general laboratories providing analytical facilities, scientific information and advice to States departments, industry and the general public.

The laboratory provides for a diversity of government activities and it has taken many years to build up a scientific team with the range of expertise and equipment to provide a thorough and professional service. The laboratory operates a variety of modern instrumentation and participates in numerous of external quality assurance schemes.