Women of the Royal Court

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Jessica Roland

First Female Deputy Bailiff.

Born. 1969

Born in Guernsey in 1969, Ms Roland was educated at Forest Primary School before attending the Grammar School for Girls. Later she attended the United World College of the Atlantic before beginning her undergraduate degree at the University of Sussex. Ms Roland went on to study law at the College of Law, York and then Caen University. Ms Roland became a solicitor in 1997 and was called to the Guernsey Bar in 1999.

In 1998 Ms Roland moved back to Guernsey and began working at the legal firm Ozannes. Ms Roland became managing partner of Mourant Ozannes in 2013.

On the 13th May 2020 Jessica Roland made history by becoming the first female Deputy Bailiff.

In her speech Ms Roland said "There are other aspects to my appointment that mark me out as different, but what I share with those who served in this role before me is greater than the sum of the differences. We share a love of this Bailiwick, we share a deep-rooted sense in being able to serve our community, we have a shared belief in the role of law and the profound sense of the responsibility that the role of Deputy Bailiff brings.".

Elizabeth Lincoln MBE

Politician and Campaigner of cancer research

Elizabeth Lincoln trained as a Nurse in London before moving to Guernsey in 1954. After having taken up an interest in politics in her new home, Ms Lincoln ran in the 1970 election winning a St. Peter Port seat with 1853 votes. Whilst being a popular politician, she also began conducting cancer research on the island by collecting over 30,000 samples from over 10,000 different Guernsey women. As a result of her work Ms Lincoln set up Prop, a charity that supported people and families impacted by cancer.

Today the samples gathered by Ms Lincoln are still used for purposes of cancer research and are used by the University of Southampton.

In 1968 Ms Lincoln was awarded an MBE for her services to cancer research.

Judge Cherry McMillen.

First female Judge of the Magistrate's Court of Guernsey.

Born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Cherry McMillen studied History at Warwick University. Later Ms McMillen trained as a Solicitor in England and Wales specialising in criminal and family law. After working in London's East End and serving on numerous high-profile cases, Ms McMillen moved to Guernsey in 2004 to serve as a Judge of the Magistrate's Court.

Judge McMillen is credited with transforming the family courts of Guernsey by ensuring that the children's interests were put first and ensuring that all involved received a fair trial.

Megan Pullum KC, LL.B. (Jt Hons), LL.M

Guernsey's first female HM Comptroller, 2012.

Ms Pullum was born in England and attended the University of Nantes before graduating with a law degree in Law and French from Cardiff University in 1993.

In 1996 she was Called as a Solicitor to the Supreme Court of England and Wales and to the Guernsey Bar in 2006. In 2012, Ms Pullum was appointed as the Queen's Counsel. The same year, Ms Pullum was appointed as HM Procureur (Attorney General) becoming the first women to hold a Crown officers' position in Guernsey. In 2016 Ms Pullum was appointed HM Receiver General for Guernsey.

Rosalyn Brelsford

Guernsey's first female Advocate.

Educated at Ladies' College, Brelsford went on to receive a Bachelor's degree in history from the Kings College London. After spending a brief period working as a history lecturer Ms Brelsford switched from an academic career to a career in law. She was called to the Bar in 1966 and went on to study law in France at Caen University before becoming an advocate with Carey Langlois & Co.