Jersey Insolvency and Asset Tracking A. Dessain and M. Wilkins (5th Ed) (2016, Key Haven Publications, Oxford), cviii and 583 Pages, £125, ISBN 978‐1‐901614‐67‐1

• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1002/iir.1271
• Date: 01 March 2017
• Author: Paul J. Omar
• Published date: 01 March 2017

Book Review

JERSEY INSOLVENCY AND ASSET TRACKING

A. Dessain and M. Wilkins (5th Ed) (2016,

Key Haven Publications, Oxford), cviii and

583 Pages, £125, ISBN 978-1-901614-67-1

Paul J. Omar*

The law on insolvency in the Channel Islands has roots in the customary law of

Normandy and has also been influenced by developments in neighbouring France

both before and since the great codifications of the 19th century and refection of

the civil law. More lately, however, corporate law procedures have been imported

from comparable rules in the United Kingdom, leading to the landscape of insol-

vency law being a rich and sometimes confusing one. As a ‘mixed jurisdiction’, the

law in Jersey provides a fascinating insight into the juxtaposition of rules from differ-

ent legal families. Providing an understanding of these areas of law is the function of

this work, first published in 1999, co-authored by Anthony Dessain, senior partner

in Bedells and a prominent Jersey advocate, and Michael Wilkins, for many years

the Viscount of the Royal Court in Jersey, and with the assistance of a formidably

qualified team of specialists. The work has seen four editions over the years, the last

(fourth) edition appearing as recently as 2012. The 4 years that have elapsed since

that edition have seen the issue of a supplement (after only 2 years) to reflect the con-

siderable number of changes in the law in Jersey and now, another 2 years on, the

publication of a fifth edition to incorporate the further changes that have occurred

in areas as diverse as bankruptcy procedures and trusts, as well as recognition and

disclosure orders, not to mention over a hundred discrete changes in a range of

technical matters including employment law, cross border co-operation, human

rights, foreign taxation, tracing, schemes of arrangement and the introduction of a

new aircraft registry. Added to the regular updating of the statutory framework

and the regular production of case law, this has necessitated considerable

amendment of the text as well as the inclusion of further commentary on key issues

(now numbering 11 all told) further developing themes raised within the book and

forming veritable ‘mini guides’to the subjects they cover.

*of Gray’s Inn, Barrister (np).

E-mail: khaemwaset@yahoo.co.uk

Copyright © 2017 INSOL International and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd Int. Insolv. Rev., Vol. 26: 119–121 (2017)

Published online 17 March 2017 in Wiley Online Library

(wileyonlinelibrary.com). DOI: 10.1002/iir.1271