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A Deemster (Manx : briw) is a judge in the Isle of Man. The High Court of Justice of the Isle of Man is presided over by a deemster or, in the case of the appeal division of that court, a deemster and the Judge of Appeal. The deemsters also promulgate the Laws on Tynwald Day by reading out brief summaries of them in English and Manx.
In the past, the First and Second Deemsters had ex officio seats in the Legislative Council of the Isle of Man. The Second Deemster was removed from the council in 1965 [1] and the First Deemster in 1975. [2]
There are currently (2017) three full-time Deemsters. These are the First Deemster and Clerk of the Rolls (who is also the Deputy Governor), the Second Deemster, and an additional full-time Deemster. The offices of First Deemster, Second Deemster and Clerk of the Rolls are ancient offices. The offices of First Deemster and Clerk of the Rolls were combined in 1918, [3] and a new office of Deputy Deemster was created in 2002 [4] but abolished in 2009. [5] Additional part-time Deemsters (previously called Acting Deemsters) are appointed from time to time to hear a particular case.
The First Deemster, Second Deemster and Judge of Appeal are appointed by, and hold office during the pleasure of, the Lord of Mann [6] (acting on the advice of the UK's Secretary of State for Justice). Additional deemsters are appointed by the Lieutenant Governor on the recommendation of the First Deemster. [7] As ex officio Deputy Governor, the First Deemster acts in place of the Lieutenant Governor in the latter's absence, or during a vacancy in that office.
Unlike judges in the United Kingdom, Deemsters have no security of tenure and thus have no legal protection against dismissal by the government. The appointment and removal of Manx judges on the formal advice of United Kingdom politicians is seen as an effective alternative.
The current Deemsters are:
There is now officially a "Third Deemster", replacing the previous "Deemster". [9] [10]
Owing to a lack of early records, the list cannot record any deemsters before 1408, and is therefore not necessarily complete for the earlier years. The dates given are those for the first appearance of a name in the records, although the person may have been in office for some time previously.
The list has been compiled from the Liber Juramentorum (the book recording the oaths taken by officers on appointment), the Isle of Man Statutes with additional names from the archive of David Craine. [11]
One of the main characters in Alfred Hitchcock 1929 drama film The Manxman is the deemster, and his holding this position is of central importance to the film's plot. The film is based on the 1894 novel of the same name by the Manx writer Hall Caine, who published another novel with a similar theme with the title The Deemster (1887).
The 1953 George Bellairs crime novel "Half-Mast for the Deemster" features the murder of the Deemster.
The government of the Isle of Man is a parliamentary representative democracy. The Monarch of the United Kingdom is also the head of state of the Isle of Man, and generally referred to as "The King, Lord of Mann". Legislation of the Isle of Man defines "the Crown in right of the Isle of Man" as separate from the "Crown in right of the United Kingdom". His representative on the island is the Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Man, but his role is mostly ceremonial, though he does have the power to grant Royal Assent.
The Legislative Council is the upper chamber of Tynwald, the legislature of the Isle of Man. The abbreviation "LegCo" is often used.
Tynwald Day is the National Day of the Isle of Man, usually observed on 5 July.
The Speaker of the House of Keys is the principal officer of the House of Keys, the lower house of the Isle of Man legislature. The Speaker is elected from the membership of the House at its first sitting after an election. He is responsible for controlling the procedure of the House and for the authoritative interpretation of its standing orders. He sets the business of the House and authorises the order of business of the House for each sitting. The Speaker uses the letters SHK after his name.
His Honour John Michael Kerruish QC was a Manx lawyer, who was the First Deemster and Clerk of the Rolls on the Isle of Man.
The Attorney General of the Isle of Man is the government's senior legal adviser and has an ex officio (non-voting) seat in the Legislative Council and in Tynwald Court.
David Doyle is a Judge of the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands, Financial Services Division. He was, until 31 July 2018, the First Deemster, Clerk of the Rolls and Deputy Governor of the Isle of Man. He was appointed in 2010 and was formerly a partner of Dickinson Cruickshank & Co from 1985 onwards. He was called to the Bar in 1982 and the Manx Bar in 1984.
The Clerk of the Rolls is a judge and Head of the Judiciary in the Isle of Man.
Arthur Christian Luft was a Manx judge, a former First Deemster and Clerk of the Rolls and a Member of the Legislative Council of the Isle of Man.
Thomas Kneen was His Majesty's Clerk of the Rolls for the Isle of Man, a Member of the House of Keys for Glenfaba, and Captain of the Parish of Onchan.
John McHutchin, was a Manx lawyer who successively became High Bailiff of Douglas, Second Deemster and Clerk of the Rolls in the Isle of Man.
Andrew Thomas Kaneen Corlett is the current First Deemster and Clerk of the Rolls of the Isle of Man who served as Second Deemster from 2011 to 2018, having previously held the title of Deputy Deemster from 2007. His appointment as First Deemster & Clerk of the Rolls was announced on 10 July 2018.
Government House is the official residence of the Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Man. It is situated on Governor's Road in Onchan, Isle of Man. Government House is also used to provide accommodation for official guests to the Isle of Man, and is used extensively for official functions, such as receptions and dinners. The property has been the official residence of the Lieutenant Governor since 1863 and has been owned by Tynwald since 1903.
Thomas William Cain was a First Deemster of the Isle of Man.
John William Corrin was a First Deemster of the Isle of Man.
Sir James Gell, was a Manx lawyer, who was the First Deemster and Clerk of the Rolls in the Isle of Man. He was also the first Manxman to become Attorney General of the Isle of Man.
James Stowell Gell QC was a Manx advocate who became High Bailiff of both Castletown and Douglas, Isle of Man.
Stewart Stevenson Moore QC was a Manx lawyer, who was the First Deemster and Clerk of the Rolls on the Isle of Man.
Mark Hildesley Quayle, QC was a Manx lawyer, antiquarian and philanthropist who became the Clerk of the Rolls of the Isle of Man and a Member of the House of Keys.
John Joseph Heywood, was a Manx lawyer and Member of the House of Keys who successively became Second Deemster and subsequently First Deemster of the Isle of Man.