Tynwald (Manx: Tinvaal), or more formally, the High Court of Tynwald (Manx: Ard-whaiyl Tinvaal) is the bicameral legislature of the Isle of Man. The Isle of Man (Ellan Vannin ˈɛlʲən ˈvanɪn or Mann (Mannin) is a self-governing Crown dependency, located in the Irish Sea at the geographical The government of the Isle of Man is a parliamentary Representative democracy. The title Lord of Mann (Chiarn Vanninagh is used on the Isle of Man to refer to Queen Elizabeth II, who is the Island's Lord Proprietor and Head For the ship see RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Context States headed by Elizabeth II The Lieutenant Governor (Fo-chiannoort is the representative on the Isle of Man of the Lord of Mann, currently Queen Elizabeth II Vice Admiral Sir Paul Kenneth Haddacks KCB (born October 27 1946) is the current Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of The Lieutenant Governor (Fo-chiannoort is the representative on the Isle of Man of the Lord of Mann, currently Queen Elizabeth II John Michael Kerruish QC is the First Deemster and Clerk of the Rolls in the Isle of Man. The President of Tynwald is the presiding officer at the sittings of Tynwald in Douglas and is elected by the members of Tynwald from amongst their number The Honorable Noel Quayle Cringle OBE MLC (born 16 December 1937) is the current President of Tynwald in the Isle of Man The Legislative Council (Yn Choonseil Slattyssagh is the upper chamber of Tynwald, the legislature of the Isle of Man. The President of the Legislative Council is the principal officer of the Legislative Council of the Isle of Man. The Honorable Noel Quayle Cringle OBE MLC (born 16 December 1937) is the current President of Tynwald in the Isle of Man The House of Keys (Kiare as Feed is the directly elected lower branch of Tynwald, the parliament of the Isle of Man, the other branch being the Legislative The Speaker of the House of Keys (Loayreyder yn Chiare as Feed is the principal officer of the House of Keys, the Lower house of the Isle of Man legislature Hon Stephen C "Steve" Rodan SHK, BSc, MRPharmS is the current Speaker of the House of Keys and former Minister of the Isle of The Council of Ministers (Coonseil ny Shirveishee is similar although not exactly parallel to the United Kingdom Cabinet. The Chief Minister (Ard-choylargh is the Executive Member of the Isle of Man 's parliament Tynwald. Manxman James Anthony "Tony" Brown is the current Chief Minister of the Isle of Man and Member of the House of Keys for Castletown The Treasury (Yn Tashtey of the Isle of Man prepares the annual budget for the Isle of Man Government, and also handles Taxation, Customs and For the sociolinguist of the same name see Allan Bell (Sociolinguist Hon Allan Robert Bell MHK is currently the Treasury Minister The Department of Home Affairs (Rheynn Cooishyn Sthie ensures the safety protection and security of the the Isle of Man. Manxman George Martyn Quayle, MHK (born 1959) is an Isle of Man politician who holds the position of Minister of Home Affairs in the The Department of Health and Social Security (Rheynn Slaynt as Shickyrys Y Theay or DHSS provides healthcare ( Hospitals doctors dentistry William Edward "Eddie" Teare, MHK (born 1948) is the Minister of Health and Social Security and current member of the House of Keys The Department of Education (Rheynn Ynsee is a department of the Isle of Man Government. Anne Valerie Craine ( 30 April 1954) JP MHK is currently the Minister of Education and Member of the House of Keys The Department of Trade and Industry (Rheynn Dellal as Jeadys is a department of the Isle of Man Government. Manxman David Cretney MHK is currently the Minister of Trade and Industry and a former long serving Tourism and Leisure Minister of the Isle of The Department of Tourism and Leisure (Rheynn Turrysid as Soccar is a department of the Isle of Man Government. Adrian John Earnshaw MHK (born 1950 is the Minister of Tourism and Leisure in the Isle of Man Government and a Member of the House of Keys The Department of Transport (Rheynn Arraghey is a department of the Isle of Man Government. David Moore Anderson MHK is currently the Transport Minister of the Isle of Man Government. The Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry (Rheynn Eirinys Eeastaght as Keylljyn or DAFF is a department of the Isle of Man Government. Philip (Phil Gawne is the Member of the House of Keys for Rushen, a Constituency in the Isle of Man. In the Isle of Man, the Department of Local Government and the Environment (Rheynn Reiltys Ynnydagh as y Çhymmyltaght or DLGE / DoLGE is responsible for John Shimmin BEd MHK is currently the Minister of Local Government and the Environment of the Isle of Man Government. The Chief Secretary (Ard-scrudeyr is the head of the Isle of Man Civil Service. The lowest courts in the Isle of Man are the Summary Courts Coroner of Inquests Licensing Court Land Court etc A deemster (briw is a Judge in the Isle of Man. The Isle of Man High Court is presided over by a deemster or the Judge of Appeal. John Michael Kerruish QC is the First Deemster and Clerk of the Rolls in the Isle of Man. A deemster (briw is a Judge in the Isle of Man. The Isle of Man High Court is presided over by a deemster or the Judge of Appeal. David Doyle QC is the Second Deemster of the Isle of Man. He was appointed in 2003 and was formerly a partner of Dickinson Cruickshank & Co from A deemster (briw is a Judge in the Isle of Man. The Isle of Man High Court is presided over by a deemster or the Judge of Appeal. Andrew TK Corlett is the Deputy Deemster of the Isle of Man. He took office on 6 January 2008 The Judge of Appeal is a part time Judge in the Isle of Man High Court who only sits in the Staff of Government Division, the appeal court Geoffrey Tattersall QC is currently the Judge of Appeal in the Isle of Man. In the Isle of Man the High Bailiff (Ard-Vaylee is the head stipendiary Magistrate. His Worship Michael Moyle is the current High Bailiff of the Isle of Man. In the Isle of Man the High Bailiff (Ard-Vaylee is the head stipendiary Magistrate. Alastair Montgomerie is the current Deputy High Bailiff and Judicial Officer of the Isle of Man. The Attorney General (Yn Turneyr Theayagh of the Isle of Man has an Ex officio seat in the Legislative Council and is the Government William John Howarth Corlett QC LLB (born 25 March 1950) is currently Her Majesty's Attorney General for the Isle of Man Current constituencies These were used for the 1986 1991 1996 2001 and 2006 General Elections Local government (gurneilys ynnydagh on the Isle of Man is based around the concept of ancient parishes Political parties in the Isle of Man lists political parties in the Isle of Man. The Isle of Man partially elects its Legislature at the national level The following State Officials are some of the most important in the Isle of Man. The Captain of the Parish is an official in each Parish in the Isle of Man - formerly the title was 'Captain of the Parish Militia' but it is now only a titular Information on politics by country is available for every Country, including both De jure and De facto independent Manx ( Gaelg or Gailck, ɡilk or) also known as Manx Gaelic, is a Goidelic language once spoken on the Isle Manx ( Gaelg or Gailck, ɡilk or) also known as Manx Gaelic, is a Goidelic language once spoken on the Isle In Government, bicameralism (bi + Latin la ''camera'' chamber is the practice of having two legislative or Parliamentary chambers Thus a bicameral A legislature is a type of representative Deliberative assembly with the power to create amend and change Laws The law created by a legislature is called Legislation The Isle of Man (Ellan Vannin ˈɛlʲən ˈvanɪn or Mann (Mannin) is a self-governing Crown dependency, located in the Irish Sea at the geographical It consists of the directly elected House of Keys and the indirectly chosen Legislative Council. The House of Keys (Kiare as Feed is the directly elected lower branch of Tynwald, the parliament of the Isle of Man, the other branch being the Legislative The Legislative Council (Yn Choonseil Slattyssagh is the upper chamber of Tynwald, the legislature of the Isle of Man.
The Houses sit jointly on Tynwald Day in St John's, and on other occasions in the Legislative Buildings in Douglas. Tynwald Day (Laa Tinvaal is the National Day of the Isle of Man, usually occurring on 5 July. The village of St John's (Balley Keeill Eoin is a small village on the A1 Douglas to Peel road in the central valley of the Isle of Douglas (Doolish is the capital of the Isle of Man and its largest town Otherwise, the two Houses sit separately, with the House of Keys originating most legislation, and the Legislative Council acting as a revising chamber. The House of Keys (Kiare as Feed is the directly elected lower branch of Tynwald, the parliament of the Isle of Man, the other branch being the Legislative The Legislative Council (Yn Choonseil Slattyssagh is the upper chamber of Tynwald, the legislature of the Isle of Man. It has been argued that Tynwald is in fact tricameral because in addition to the two branches sitting separately they also sit as a single body.
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Etymology
The name Tynwald, like the Icelandic Þingvellir, is derived from the Old Norse word Þingvǫll meaning the meeting place of the assembly, the field of the thing. Icelandic ( is a North Germanic language, the language of Iceland. is '''''Þingvellir''''' ( Þing: 'parliament' is ''vellir'' 'meadows'(sometimes transliterated Thingvellir) is a place in Bláskógarbyggð in southwestern Old Norse is the North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age See also Medieval Scandinavian laws A thing or ting ( Old Norse, Old English and Icelandic: þing; other modern
Tynwald Day
When Tynwald meets annually in St John's (normally on 5 July) at an open air ceremony on Tynwald Hill, the Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Man presides, unless the Queen as Lord of Mann or a member of the Royal Family representing her is present. Events 1295 - Scotland and France form an alliance the beginnings of the Auld Alliance, against England. Tynwald Day (Laa Tinvaal is the National Day of the Isle of Man, usually occurring on 5 July. The Lieutenant Governor (Fo-chiannoort is the representative on the Isle of Man of the Lord of Mann, currently Queen Elizabeth II For the ship see RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Context States headed by Elizabeth II The title Lord of Mann (Chiarn Vanninagh is used on the Isle of Man to refer to Queen Elizabeth II, who is the Island's Lord Proprietor and Head A royal family is the extended family of a monarch. Generally the head of a royal family is a king or queen regnant Here, all laws are promulgated and special petitions are received.
Promulgation
If an Act of Tynwald is not promulgated at St John's within 18 months of passage, it becomes null and void. Acts of Tynwald are legislative enactments of Tynwald, the Parliament of the Isle of Man.
Joint sittings
While Tynwald sits in Douglas, which occurs once a month from October to July, the President of Tynwald, who is chosen by the other members, presides. In the joint session:
- Members of each house formally sign bills
- Notice of Royal Assent from the Lord of Mann is received
- Questions may be put to ministers
- Special resolutions authorizing taxes are made
- Delegated legislation made by Government departments may be approved or annulled
- Petitions may be presented
- Other important public business is conducted
Voting
When Tynwald votes while meeting jointly, each House votes separately. The title Lord of Mann (Chiarn Vanninagh is used on the Isle of Man to refer to Queen Elizabeth II, who is the Island's Lord Proprietor and Head Delegated legislation (also referred to as secondary legislation or subordinate legislation) is Law made by an executive authority under powers given to If a majority of each House approves, the motion is carried. If the Council vote ties, then the President of Tynwald casts the deciding vote in line with the majority vote of the Keys. However, if the Keys approves a motion but the Council disapproves, then the question can be put again at a different sitting. In this case, the vote is determined by a majority of all the members of Tynwald. If this occurs, the Keys, with its larger size, is likely to prevail.
Passage of legislation
Normally, both houses of Tynwald must pass a Bill before it goes to the sovereign or her representative Lieutenant Governor, representing the Lord of Mann, for Royal Assent. The Lieutenant Governor (Fo-chiannoort is the representative on the Isle of Man of the Lord of Mann, currently Queen Elizabeth II The title Lord of Mann (Chiarn Vanninagh is used on the Isle of Man to refer to Queen Elizabeth II, who is the Island's Lord Proprietor and Head But if the Council rejects a bill or amends it against the Keys' wishes, the Keys has the power to repass the same bill, when the Council's approval is not required and the Bill is presented to the Lieutenant Governor for Royal Assent. The granting of Royal Assent is the formal method by which a constitutional monarch completes the legislative process of Lawmaking by formally assenting to an
Assent is granted (or refused) following consultation with the Ministry of Justice in the UK. The Ministry of Justice has been a department of the government of the United Kingdom since 2007
History of Tynwald
.png/250px-Flag_of_the_Tynwald_(Parliament_of_the_Isle_Of_Man).png)
Tynwald is usually said in the Isle of Man to be the oldest parliament in continuous existence in the world, having been established by 979 (though its roots may go back to the late 800s as the thing of Norse raiders not yet permanently resident on the island) and having continued to be held since that time without interruption. Norsemen is used to refer to the group of people as a whole who speak one of the North Germanic languages as their native language [1]
There are other parliaments which are undoubtedly older but these have not had a continuous existence. The Icelandic Alþingi was established in 930 but abolished in 1800 and not re-founded until 1845. The Alþingi, Anglicized variously as Althing or Althingi, is the national Parliament —literally “(the all- thing ”—of The Faroese Løgting is believed to be the oldest of that three, established as early as in the 9th century and recorded to exist as annual assembly in the 10th century. The Løgting, or determined in Faroese Løgtingið (full official name Føroya løgting "Løgting of the Faroes" is the Parliament San Marino also claims that its parliament dates to 301 AD, making it several centuries earlier than the claims of the Norse assemblies. The Most Serene Republic of San Marino (Serenissima Repubblica di San Marino is a country in the Apennine Mountains. The Grand and General Council ( Consiglio Grande e Generale) is the Parliament of San Marino.
However, the veracity of Tynwald's claim to continuous existence as a legislative body is disputed. From the 11th to the 15th centuries, Tynwald was arguably a judicial court and did not fulfil functions of creating legislation. During the 15th and 16th centuries the process of creating legislation varied between occasions and, as noted below, Tynwald does not appear to have functioned as a single legislative body during that period either.
Medieval period
Tynwald originally comprised only the 24 Members of the House of Keys, commonly referred to as 'the Keys'. Four members were present in the Keys for each of the six sheadings of the Island. Local government (gurneilys ynnydagh on the Isle of Man is based around the concept of ancient parishes The earliest surviving record of the Keys dates to 1422, whilst the earliest record of Tynwald dates to 1077. The Keys were not originally an elected body and membership was for life. When a vacancy arose the remaining members selected the replacement member. In general, membership of the Keys passed down through the leading families on the Island.
In the 1500s the Keys met irregularly. They were akin to a jury which was summoned from time-to-time by the Lord of Mann or the deemsters when they required advice as to the law. A deemster (briw is a Judge in the Isle of Man. The Isle of Man High Court is presided over by a deemster or the Judge of Appeal. In 1600 the Keys became a permanent body.
Until 1577, the Keys merely declared and interpreted the ancient common law when queries arose. This naturally developed into the ability to create new laws, a function that Tynwald adopted around 1610.
17th and 18th century
In October 1651, during the English Civil War, the Island fell to the Parliamentary Forces, who took over the administration of the government. During this period, Tynwald met only sporadically.
Following the restoration of the monarchy, control of the Island was returned back to the Lords of Mann. The Keys saw a reduction in their power at this point, as Tynwald was reconstituted as "the Lord [of Mann], the Governor, the principal officers and the deemsters (who constitute the Lord's Council), and by the Commons represented by their Keys. "
Administration of the government was vested in a Governor, and the Lords of Mann became absentee landlords. They Keys were unhappy with the changes, and agreed to very few new laws.
In 1737, Tynwald obtained a power in addition to its monopoly on law-making - the agreement of Tynwald would be required for all taxation, in imitation of the constitutional practice of Great Britain. This was a short-lived arrangement, as in 1765 the Lord of Mann sold his rights over the Island to the British Crown.
Post-revestment
Following the revestment of the Lordship of Mann into the British Crown in 1765, the British government assumed all powers to impose and collect taxes. The Isle of Man Purchase Act 1765 (c 26 also known as the Act of Revestment purchased the feudal rights of the Dukes of Atholl as Lords of Man over the The title Lord of Mann (Chiarn Vanninagh is used on the Isle of Man to refer to Queen Elizabeth II, who is the Island's Lord Proprietor and Head Throughout the Commonwealth realms The Crown is an abstract metonymic concept which represents the legal authority for the existence of any government Tynwald was left with no money to spend, and little power, although they were still able to bring about social change by the repeal in 1771 of restrictive labour legislation.
Therefore, the Keys asked the British government to dissolve Tynwald, and assent to legislation for a new elected parliament, which they hoped would have a stronger voice to challenge the new government of the Island, based in distant Whitehall. To this end, the Keys organised a petition of 800 signatures, which was presented to the British government.
A Royal Commission was appointed in 1791, but it wasn't until 1866 that Tynwald finally passed legislation that would see its members elected for the first time. It should also be noted that before 1866, Tynwald's primary business had been operating as the Island's court of appeal. The House of Keys Election Act 1866 removed this judicial power to a separate court.
Royal Commission on the Isle of Man
In 1791 a Royal Commission on the Isle of Man was formed to examine the governance and finances of the island. The term Royal Commission may also be used in the United Kingdom to describe the group of Lords Commissioners who may act in the stead of the
The Commissioners reported back to Whitehall in 1792, stating that "The laws and ordinances that were enacted during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries appear by the Manks Statute Book to have been prescribed by such different powers, or combination of powers, that as precedents of the exercise of legislative authority they can have but little weight. Whitehall is a road in Westminster in London, England. It is the main artery running north from Parliament Square, towards traditional " The Commission noted that only subsequent to this period was the practice of the Council and twenty-four Keys meeting together to enact legislation established as 'the more regular mode of legislating'.
The Royal Commission also noted that the earliest insular Manx laws on record dated from 1417 (the first Act on record being a restriction of the powers of the church to offer sanctuary) – this was after the arrival of the Stanley family as Lords of Man. It also noted that the comprehensive Manx Statute Book dated from the year 1422 onwards. Note that these were not necessarily the earliest laws passed, but those prior to this date were not recorded as Acts of Tynwald. Acts of Tynwald are legislative enactments of Tynwald, the Parliament of the Isle of Man. Comparison can be made with other Parliaments in the British Isles of a similar period; the oldest recorded English Act was from 1229, Scotland 1424, and Ireland 1216 – although again there were prior laws that are now merely part of the unwritten common law of each country. Common law refers to law and the corresponding legal system developed through decisions of courts and similar tribunals rather than through legislative statutes or executive
The opening statement of the Statute Book was "Divers Ordinances, Statutes, and Customs, presented, reputed, and used for Laws in the Land of Mann, that were ratified, approved, and confirmed, as well by the Honourable Sir John Stanley, Knight, King and Lord of the same Land, and divers others his Predecessors, as by all Barons, Deemsters, Officers, Tenants, Inhabitants, and Commons of the same Land where the Lord's Right is declared in the following Words" ('divers' is an archaic word means 'various')
Furthermore, the Commissioners' report noted that prior to the revestment, no 'minutes or journals' of the proceedings of the Council or the House of Keys had been kept.
…in respect to government and laws, the Manks appear, in all ages to have been a distinct people, and in some degree an independent, or not annexed to any other kingdom… The people, however, beyond all written record, have clearly within claimed and enjoyed the right and privilege of being governed and regulated by laws of their own making, or consented to by themselves, or by their constitutional representative…
To maintain this independence of the Legislature, is held to be the first duty of every Manxman… they dread therefore and must ever dread, the interference in their internal concerns, or even a precedent being made for such interference from any other legislature on earth; even the British…
— Report of the Commissioners of Inquiry for the Isle of Man - 1792
References
- The Land of Home Rule. Spencer Walpole, 1893
Members' salaries and expenses
The salaries and expenses payable to members of the Tynwald (as of 2006-04-01) are listed in the table below. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 527 - Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne
| % of Member's | 2006/2007 Salary | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Member's Salary | £34,152. 00 | ||
| Additions Sum | Total Sum | ||
| Chief Minister | 80% | £27,321. 60 | £61,473. 60 |
| Speaker of House of Keys | 60% | £20,491. 20 | £54,643. 20 |
| President of Tynwald | 50% | £17,076. 00 | £51,228. 00 |
| Minister | 50% | £17,076. 00 | £51,228. 00 |
| Chairman, Civil Service Commission | 40% | £13,660. 80 | £47,812. 80 |
| Member of Treasury | 40% | £13,660. 80 | £47,812. 80 |
| Member of Department | 30% | £10,245. 60 | £44,397. 60 |
| Chairman of Statutory Authorities | 10% | £3,415. 20 | £37,567. 20 |
| Member's Expenses Allowance | £5,790. 38 |
Proposed changes to Tynwald
As of 2007, the Island's system of government is under review – there are plans to transform the Legislative Council into a directly-elected chamber, echoing the push for reform in the UK's House of Lords and the abolition of indirectly elected Conseillers in Guernsey. The House of Lords is the second house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and is also commonly referred to as "the Lords" The Bailiwick of Guernsey (Bailliage de Guernesey is a British Crown dependency in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy. To date, no legislation has successfully passed through the House of Keys. The House of Keys (Kiare as Feed is the directly elected lower branch of Tynwald, the parliament of the Isle of Man, the other branch being the Legislative
Millennium Way
The Millennium Way long distance footpath was opened in 1979 to commemorate the millennium year of Tynwald. The Millennium Way is a Long distance footpath on the Isle of Man. Year 1979 ( MCMLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1979 Gregorian calendar)
References
See also
External links
- Tynwald - The Parliament of the Isle of Man
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