isleofman.com search for an isle of man business | find a residential number | site search local visitors business Home | About the Isle of Man | Law Law The Isle of Man has its own legal system, although much of Manx law is based on the principles of English common law. Advocates Lawyers in the Isle of Man are known as Advocates and combine both the roles of solicitors and barristers in England. Organised into partnerships, Manx advocates perform a wide range of work and have an exclusive right of audience in the Island's courts (although English barristers can be licensed to appear in certain cases). Other legal work (except conveyancing) can be undertaken in the Island by registered legal practitioners qualified to practice in other jurisdictions. The Manx Legal System Although English law does not extend to the Isle of Man, the Manx legal system is based on the principles of English common law, like the legal systems of most Commonwealth countries. Manx criminal law was codified in the 19th Century and is closely based on English law. In relation to contract, tort, family law and social security, it is very similar, but in other respects, Manx law has been developed to meet the Island's special circumstances. This particularly relates to direct taxation, company law and financial supervision. Many of the recent changes made in English law regarding land have not been followed in the Isle of Man and there are now significant differences between Manx and English conveyancing procedures. The Manx system is based on a Registry of Deeds. Sources of Manx Law The principal sources of Manx law are Acts of Tynwald (the Manx Parliament) and the Orders and Regulations made under these Acts. Tynwald has power to pass Acts on any subject, but all Acts of Tynwald require the Royal Assent of the Queen. Although the Isle of Man is largely autonomous, the Parliament at Westminster still legislates for the island in respect of some subjects which are of common concern to the Isle of Man and the United Kingdom, such as defence, nationality and immigration. EU law only has direct application to the Isle of Man for very limited purposes. Judges and Courts The Island's High Court judges are two Deemsters (a term dating from Viking times), who have jurisdiction over all the criminal and civil matters. In England this would fall to the High Court, County Court and Crown Court. David Doyle QC, the First Deemster and Deputy Governor of the Isle of Man The Manx Appeal Court, (the Staff of Government Division), consists of the Deemsters and the Judge of Appeal, a part-time position filled by an English QC. The final appeal, one that is rarely pursued, is to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in London. The Island has its own lay magistrates (similar to their English counterparts) and also two stipendiary magistrates (the High Bailiff and Deputy High Bailiff) who also act as coroners of inquests and preside over the licensing court. About the Isle of Man The Economy Law Constitution Taxation The EU and OECD Transport Infrastructure Religion Copyright 2017 © Manx Telecom Contact Us Email Terms & Conditions Manx Telecom Trading Ltd, Isle of Man Business Park, Cooil Road, Braddan, Isle of Man IM99 1HX Registered in the Isle of Man Reg no.5629V VAT Reg no GB 003-2919-12 We use necessary cookies on manxtelecom.com websites to provide session functions e.g. account logins, baskets and content searches. These cookies are typically removed when you close the browser. We use performance and functionality cookies to help analyse website performance and usage. Finally some of the 3rd party services we use (e.g. embedded YouTube videos) implement targeting cookies to personalise content. By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of these cookies on your device or you can select "Manage Cookies" to manage your cookie settings. You can find out more by viewing our Cookies Policy Manage Cookies Allow All Cookies