Attorney General's Chambers
113 FOI requests | Full disclosure rate: 30.1%
The Freedom of Information requests to the Isle of Man Attorney General's Chambers reveal an authority that is highly responsive to specific, factual queries regarding staffing, software costs, and high-profile charity oversight, yet systematically opaque regarding policy formulation, legal aid reform, and the evidentiary basis of criminal law. A recurring theme is the 'information not held' response, particularly concerning prosecution statistics (cases 379034, 2264429) and the scientific justification for drug scheduling (case 1623265), which suggests a fragmented data infrastructure where the AG's Chambers does not centrally aggregate operational policing data. However, this opacity is not absolute; the authority has been compelled to release sensitive contract details regarding legislative drafting (case 3992277) and has disclosed significant financial data on legal costs for defending public officials (cases 2021153, 2441298), indicating that while policy documents are often shielded by privilege or claimed non-existence, financial trails are increasingly visible.
Key Cases
Case 3992277 — This case represents a significant victory for transparency where the Information Commissioner overruled the Attorney General's Chambers' blanket refusal to release contracts with 'SEA PEGASUS DRAFTING SERVICES,' forcing the disclosure of cost-benefit analyses and unredacted contracts regarding legislative drafting.
Case 1216681 — Highlights a major conflict of interest in 'Operation Braid' involving former AG John Quinn. The authority confirmed the involvement of a UK barrister but successfully withheld specific details of the conflict under FOI exemptions, raising questions about accountability in high-level fraud investigations.
Case 4714237 — Provides concrete evidence of regulatory friction with King William's College, disclosing significant delays and re-submissions of annual accounts from 2021-2023, contrasting with the authority's frequent 'information not held' responses in other charity-related requests.
Case 1623265 — A notable refusal where the AG's Chambers admitted they do not hold the scientific or legislative foundation evidence justifying the classification of cannabis as a Schedule 1 drug, exposing a potential gap in the evidentiary basis for current drug laws.
Case 2374877 — Involves a partial upholding of a request for a legal aid review report by the late AG John Quinn. The authority refused release citing 'future publication' exemptions, arguing that premature disclosure would compromise policy formulation, a controversial stance on internal reviews.
Related FOI Stories
Legal Aid and Public Defence Scrutiny — #379139, #2374877, #2176273, #2176274, #2221316
High-Profile Litigation and Settlement Costs — #2021153, #2009761, #2441298, #2603077, #2374877
Criminal Justice Statistics and Drug Policy — #379034, #2264429, #1623265, #3937873, #3937874
Charity Regulation and Financial Oversight — #1746173, #3086365, #4714237, #4749973, #3984737
Legislative Drafting and External Contractors — #3356165, #3992277, #2572689, #1722493
All (113)
Information not held (34) ·
All information sent (34) ·
Some information sent but not all held (16) ·
No information sent - all held but exempt (9) ·
Some information sent but part exempt (7) ·
Not upheld (5) ·
Not required to fulfill request (4) ·
Upheld - partial (2) ·
Upheld - full (1) ·
Request lapsed - requested information not provided (1) ·
| Date | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-02-03 | Correspondence between AG's chambers and UK Ministry of Justice | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| A request was made for correspondence between the Attorney General's Chambers and the UK Ministry of Justice regarding the Assisted Dying Bill 2023 since February 2025. The authority confirmed holding the information but refused disclosure citing legal professional privilege and international relations exemptions. | ||
| 2026-01-06 | government powers/ legislation on unfinished building sites | Information not held |
| 2025-10-14 | Litigation Manual | All information sent |
| The requestor asked for a copy of the unpublished Litigation Manual containing policies on the duty of candour and assisting the court. The Attorney General's Chambers disclosed the manual in full, noting that it is a living document currently undergoing annual review. | ||
| 2025-10-09 | legal transcription suppliers | All information sent |
| The request sought details on legal transcription suppliers, invoice counts, contract values, and rates for the Attorney General's Chambers from 2016 to 2025. The authority disclosed all available information, noting that records only exist from the 2018/19 financial year onwards. | ||
| 2025-09-26 | Number of exclusion order breaches | Not required to fulfill request |
| A request was made for details on breaches of exclusion orders under the Criminal Justice (Exclusion of Non-Resident Offenders) Act 1998 over the past 10 years, including dates, nature, and punishments. The Attorney General's Chambers refused the request, citing that fulfilling it would require substantial compilation of information, and advised the requester to contact the Constabulary or Courts instead. | ||
| 2025-09-08 | Fallen Stock and AWPP | Not required to fulfill request |
| A request for communications regarding the Animal Waste Processing Plant and fallen stock held by the Attorney General's Chambers was refused because fulfilling it would require substantial compilation of information. | ||
| 2025-08-05 | Documentation including electronic, in possession, custody or control. | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| The applicant requested instructions given by the Attorney General's Chambers to DEFA regarding a 2019 appeal and 2020-2021 ADS application processing. The authority refused to release information, stating they do not hold the records and that any such advice would be subject to legal professional privilege. | ||
| 2025-06-24 | KWC Annual Accounts & Directors' Reports 2021, 2022 & 2023 | All information sent |
| The requester sought correspondence regarding the submission and re-submission of King William's College Annual Accounts and Directors' Reports for 2021, 2022, and 2023. The Attorney General's Chambers responded by disclosing all requested information, including emails between the charity and relevant stakeholders. | ||
| 2025-06-09 | KWC Annual Accounts & Annual Reports 2020-2024 | All information sent |
| The request sought receipt and acceptance dates for King William's College annual accounts from 2020 to 2024, along with correspondence regarding the 2024 submission. The Attorney General's Chambers disclosed the 2024 accounts, relevant emails, and specific processing dates for all requested years, noting significant delays and re-submissions for the 2021-2023 periods. | ||
| 2025-05-22 | emergency power legislation 2020 | Information not held |
| The applicant requested confirmation regarding 2020 emergency power legislation updates and the legal use of end-of-life drugs like Midazolam on the Isle of Man. The Attorney General's Chambers refused to provide legal advice, citing that the information was not held, but directed the applicant to public legislation websites and specific acts for self-research. | ||
| 2025-05-20 | Parking Prosecutions | Information not held |
| A request for 10-year statistics on parking prosecutions and summonses was refused by the Attorney General's Chambers because they do not hold the information. The authority advised the requester to submit the query to the Department of Infrastructure instead. | ||
| 2025-02-06 | Staffing | All information sent |
| The requester asked for staffing numbers at the Attorney General's Chambers for the last five years, broken down by role and qualification. The authority responded by providing the last five years of Organisational Charts which detail the breakdown of roles across different divisions. | ||
| 2024-12-31 | Settlement Agreements | Some information sent but part exempt |
| The requester asked for statistics on Settlement Agreements issued by the Attorney General's Chambers since September 2021 and a blank template. The authority refused to compile the statistics citing practical refusal reasons but provided a template previously issued by the Manx Industrial Relations Service. | ||
| 2024-07-19 | civil litigation templates | All information sent |
| The requester sought a list of actively used civil litigation templates, specifically narrowing the scope to employment matters and Microsoft Word formats after an initial clarification request. The Attorney General's Chambers responded by interpreting the request as seeking templates held within their case management system for employment matters, though the provided text cuts off before listing the specific documents. | ||
| 2024-07-18 | SEA PEGASUS DRAFTING SERVICES LIMITED | Upheld - full |
| The applicant requested unredacted contracts, payment details, and cost-benefit analyses for SEA PEGASUS DRAFTING SERVICES LIMITED from the Attorney General's Chambers. The Information Commissioner upheld the request, ruling that the authority's blanket refusal based on confidentiality was inappropriate and ordered the release of the information. | ||
| 2024-07-16 | Statutory Regulations - MANX MUSEUM AND NATIONAL TRUST | Not required to fulfill request |
| The requester asked for the statute, establishment documentation, and statutory obligations for Charity No 603 (Manx Museum and National Trust). The Attorney General's Chambers declined to provide physical copies, citing that the information is already reasonably accessible via public links. | ||
| 2024-06-24 | Amount of currently incarcerated | Information not held |
| A request was made to the Attorney General's Chambers for statistics on individuals currently incarcerated in Jurby Prison for various cannabis-related offences. The authority refused the request under section 11(3)(a) of the Freedom of Information Act 2015, stating they do not hold the information and advised contacting the Department of Home Affairs instead. | ||
| 2024-06-24 | Licenses lost due to drug wipe failure | Information not held |
| The requester asked for statistics on driver suspensions due to roadside drug wipe failures since November 2018, specifically regarding cannabis. The Attorney General's Chambers refused the request, stating they do not hold the information and advised contacting the Isle of Man Constabulary instead. | ||
| 2024-04-09 | Lexis Nexis | Information not held |
| 2024-03-27 | contempt of court bill 2018 | Some information sent but not all held |
| 2024-03-21 | Paul Robinson miscarriage of justice case costs | Some information sent but not all held |
| 2024-03-18 | Current statistics for 2023 on violent crime | Information not held |
| 2024-03-12 | redundancies | Information not held |
| 2024-02-20 | specific email awareness | Information not held |
| 2024-02-13 | Data regarding arrests made of adolescents for substance misuse | Information not held |
| 2023-11-15 | Trials vacated due to delay in receiving medical reports | Information not held |
| A request was made for data on criminal trials vacated due to delays in receiving medical reports from Manx Care for 2021-2023. The Attorney General's Chambers refused the request, stating they do not hold the information. | ||
| 2023-10-26 | External legal services paid for by AG's Chambers. | Some information sent but part exempt |
| The request sought total payments made by the Attorney General's Chambers to external lawyers for the years 2018 through 2022. The authority disclosed the specific monetary amounts for all requested years, noting that a practical refusal reason applied to any further analysis or compilation of data. | ||
| 2023-10-11 | Unclaimed Manx Residents in U.K. | Information not held |
| The requester asked about the policy for repatriating or handling the remains of unclaimed Manx residents who die in the UK. The Attorney General's Chambers responded that they do not hold this information and suggested contacting the Cabinet Office instead. | ||
| 2023-09-14 | Cost of running Attorney General's Chambers | Some information sent but part exempt |
| A request for staffing numbers and operational costs of the Attorney General's Chambers was partially fulfilled, disclosing headcounts for lawyers and non-lawyers while refusing remuneration and rent data due to practical refusal reasons. | ||
| 2023-09-12 | PIN for at least 20 MW of onshore renewables | Information not held |
| A request was made for details of respondents and proposals regarding a 2020 PIN for at least 20 MW of onshore renewables, but the Attorney General's Chambers refused the request stating the information is not held. | ||
| 2023-08-23 | legislation | Some information sent but not all held |
| The request sought a list of primary and subsidiary legislation drafted by external suppliers over the last five years, but the authority only disclosed details for two specific bills while refusing the rest due to lack of records, personal data, and confidentiality clauses. | ||
| 2023-08-17 | hours logged to public sector clients | All information sent |
| The request sought metadata on hours logged by category for public sector clients by the Attorney General's Chambers for the 2021/22 and 2022/23 financial years. The authority responded by sending all requested information, including detailed time analysis reports listing hours spent on various activities for multiple government departments. | ||
| 2023-08-01 | Education professional development and review of Crown Prosecution IOM | Not required to fulfill request |
| A request for information regarding Crown Prosecutor qualifications, training, and case statistics was partially refused because the authority does not hold the specific data or deemed some questions as not being requests for recorded information. The response clarified that prosecutors are members of the Manx Bar rather than Crown Prosecutors and provided a job description for a Legal Officer in Prosecutions. | ||
| 2023-07-19 | Earystane & Scards, Sulby & Druidale | Information not held |
| A request was made for all documents regarding proposed onshore wind farms at Earystane, Scards, Sulby, and Druidale, but the Attorney General's Chambers responded that they do not hold the information. | ||
| 2023-07-11 | Government Non-Disclosure Agreements | Not upheld |
| The requester asked for statistics on Government Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) and financial settlements from 2018 to 2022, along with procedural questions about the Attorney General's role. The Attorney General's Chambers refused the request, stating they do not hold the specific records on NDA counts or settlement values, and that the procedural questions were not valid requests for recorded information. | ||
| 2023-06-01 | cannabis cases | Information not held |
| 2023-04-27 | Number of registered charities | Some information sent but not all held |
| The request sought statistics on registered charities in the Isle of Man for April 2020 and April 2023, as well as data on non-submission of annual returns. The authority disclosed the registration numbers for both dates but refused the request regarding annual returns because the information was not held and would require creation. | ||
| 2023-02-07 | Defence Costs | All information sent |
| 2023-01-25 | perceptive software | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| 2022-11-17 | DHA legal support meta data | Some information sent but not all held |
| 2022-11-17 | freedom of information requests meta data | Some information sent but not all held |
| 2022-11-01 | legal services hours and costs | All information sent |
| 2022-10-27 | top secret clause contracts | Information not held |
| 2022-10-26 | external lawyer panels and rates | Not upheld |
| 2022-10-19 | HM AG civil legal aid report | Some information sent but not all held |
| 2022-10-03 | quantified legal support | All information sent |
| 2022-09-23 | contractor payments | Not upheld |
| 2022-09-16 | specific tribunal costs and hours | Some information sent but not all held |
| The request sought total legal costs and hourly breakdowns for the Mr Graeme Jones tribunal; the authority disclosed detailed billable hours but refused to provide financial cost data as it was not held. | ||
| 2022-09-16 | HM AG salary | All information sent |
| The requester asked for salary, overtime, and bonus details for the HM Attorney General from 2010/11 to the latest year to compare permanent and acting roles. The authority disclosed that the HM AG is paid a flat rate with no overtime or bonuses, aligned to Group 4 judicial salaries less 7.5%. | ||
| 2022-09-16 | all payments to Expol | Information not held |
| A request was made to the Attorney General's Chambers for a list of all payments to the supplier Expol from the 2010/11 financial year to date. The authority responded that no such information is held because no payments have ever been made to this supplier. | ||
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