Legislative Council of the Isle of Man
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The Legislative Council of the Isle of Man is the upper chamber of Tynwald, the legislature of the Isle of Man.
Known in the Manx language as Yn Choonceil Slattyssagh, it consists of 11 indirectly elected members, known as Members of the Legislative Council or MLCs. The House of Keys votes by secret ballot to elect the MLCs, who must be twenty-one years old and a resident for three years, to four year terms; four members are chosen at a time so that the Council has a rotating membership.
Formerly, the Lieutenant Governor presided over the Legislative Council and over Tynwald Court (a joint session of the Council and the House of Keys). Now, however, the President of Tynwald, who is chosen by the whole Tynwald for a six-year term, is the ex officio President of the Legislative Council, and presides over both the Legislative Council and Tynwald Court, except that the Lieutenant Governor presides once a year on Tynwald Day. Furthermore, the Church of England Bishop of Sodor and Man and the Attorney General appointed by the Monarch of the United Kingdom have seats on the Legislative Council. The President has a casting vote, the Bishop may vote like other members, while the Attorney General may not vote at all.
The original function of the Legislative Council was executive (i.e. giving advice to the Lieutenant Governor) and its membership was entirely appointed, as follows:
- Lieutenant Governor
- First Deemster
- Second Deemster
- Clerk of the Rolls
- Attorney General
- Receiver General
- Lord Bishop of Sodor and Man
- Archdeacon of Sodor and Man
- Vicar General
The first seven were Crown appointments and the last two appointments by the Bishop. Reforms were slowly made to reduce the number of judicial and religious appointments and these members were slowly replaced by indirectly elected members. The Archdeacon of Sodor and Man, the Vicar General and the Receiver General were removed as ex-officio members of the Council by the Constitution Amendment Bill 1919. Then the Lieutenant Governor was removed from the Judicial bench and Clerk of the Rolls became ex officio the First Deemster. Then the Second Deemster was removed from the council in 1965 followed by the First Deemster in 1975 and finally the Lieutenant Governor himself in 1980. Today only the Bishop and the Attorney General remain ex officio appointed members.
The Council does not normally originate legislation (the last Act originating from the Cuncil was the Sharing of Church Buildings Act 1986). Instead, it reviews legislation from the House of Keys. The Council, being elected by the MHKs themselves, does not have significant authority in Tynwald.
[edit] Current Members of the Legislative Council
- President of Tynwald: Hon Noel Quayle Cringle MLC
- Lord Bishop of Sodor and Man: Rt Rev Graeme Paul Knowles AKC MLC
- Her Majesty's Attorney General: William John Howarth Corlett QC MLC
- Clare Margaret Christian BSc MLC
- Pamela Mavis Crowe MLC, Chairman of the Isle of Man Post Office
- Alexander Frank Downie FIMarEST MCMI FFB MLC
- Dudley Michael William Butt MLC
- Edmund George Lowey MLC
- George Henry Waft Dip App SS BSc(Hons) MLC
- Alan Crowe MLC
- 1 vacancy
[edit] Membership
The non ex officio members are elected by the House of Keys for terms which end at the end of February following the fourth anniversary of their election.
| Year | Election | Previous Members | Candidates | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 |
Resignations |
|
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| 2005 |
Scheduled |
|
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| 2003 |
Scheduled |
|
|
|
| 2002 |
(ex officio) |
Norman Radcliffe CP |
||
| 2003 |
(ex officio) |
Noel Jones |
n/a |
|
| 2000 |
Scheduled |
|||
| 2000 |
(ex officio) |
Sir Charles Kerruish |
||
| 1998 |
(ex officio) |
Mike Kerruish QC |
n/a |
|
| 1998 |
Scheduled |
|
|
|
| 1995 |
? |
? |
? |
|
| 1994 |
? |
? |
? |
|
| 1993 |
? |
? |
? |
|
| 1990 |
(constitutional change) |
Ian Anderson |
? |
Sir Charles Kerruish |
| 1988 |
? |
Jack Nivison |
? |
|
| 1985 |
? |
|
|
|
| 1982 |
? |
? |
? |
|
| 1982 |
? |
|
|
|
| 1980 |
(constitutional change) |
Sir John Warburton Paul |
? |
Jack Nivison |
| 1977 |
? |
? |
||
| 1974 |
? |
|
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| 1974 |
? |
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| 1970 |
? |
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| 1970 |
? |
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| 1964 |
? |
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| 1963 |
? |
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| 1963 |
? |
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| 1962 |
Resignation |
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| 1962 |
Constitution Change |
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| 1958 |
? |
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| 1958 |
? |
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| 1955 |
? |
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| 1954 |
? |
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| 1951 |
? |
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| 1950 |
? |
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| 1946 |
? |
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| 1943 |
? |
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| 1943 |
? |
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| 1943 |
? |
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| 1942 |
? |
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| 1942 |
? |
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| 1935 |
? |
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| 1934 |
? |
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| 1928 |
? |
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| 1924 |
? |
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| 1924 |
? |
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| 1924 |
? |
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| 1924 |
? |
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| 1921 |
? |
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| 1919 |
? |
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| 1919 |
? |
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| 1919 |
? |
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| 1919 |
? |
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| 1909 |
? |
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| 1894 |
? |
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| 1893 |
? |
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| 1887 |
? |
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| 1887 |
? |
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| 1883 |
? |
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| 1867 |
? |
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| 1848 |
? |
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