Attorney General's Chambers
34 FOI requests | Full disclosure rate: 100.0%
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 (34)
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | ||
| 2025-06-24 | 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. | ||
| 2025-02-06 | 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. | ||
| 2024-07-19 | 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. | ||
| 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. | ||
| 2023-02-07 | Defence Costs | All information sent |
| 2022-11-01 | legal services hours and costs | All information sent |
| 2022-10-03 | quantified legal support | All information sent |
| 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 | payments to M and P legal | All information sent |
| The request sought a list of payments made to M and P legal from the 2010/11 financial year to date. The Attorney General's Chambers disclosed that only one payment was made during this period, totaling £1,536 plus VAT for a court costs award in November 2011. | ||
| 2022-09-05 | trainee lawyers | All information sent |
| The requester asked for a summary of trainee legal roles by division and year for the current and previous two financial years. The Attorney General's Chambers disclosed that only one trainee advocate was appointed during the 2020/21 financial year, with no other positions filled within the requested timeframe. | ||
| 2022-08-09 | case management software, optional modules and associated costs | All information sent |
| The request sought detailed cost breakdowns for the Prescient+ case management system and information on digital systems used by the Attorney General's Chambers. The authority disclosed the specific first-year costs for the software, configuration, training, and support, though the response regarding Manx Care system access was cut off in the provided text. | ||
| 2022-05-18 | Appeals against speeding convictions | All information sent |
| The requester asked for statistics on speeding conviction appeals over the last five years, specifically those due to incorrect signage. The Attorney General's Chambers responded that no such appeals have been lodged in that period and provided general information on the appeals process. | ||
| 2022-05-11 | Dr Rosalind Ranson | All information sent |
| The requester asked for the total bill for legal services related to the Dr Rosalind Ranson tribunal. The Attorney General's Chambers disclosed the total external fees paid and the internal hours spent by counsel, clarifying that internal time is not billed back to government departments. | ||
| 2022-01-06 | legal costs reserve drawdowns | All information sent |
| The requester sought clarification on legal costs reserve drawdowns in the Isle of Man national accounts amid allegations of unlawful legal support schemes. The Attorney General's Chambers disclosed that the expenditure was £118,000 for the year ended 31 March 2021, primarily for external counsel in criminal proceedings and statutory representation for children in family court. | ||
| 2021-12-06 | IOM Law Society compulsory PII scheme transactions | All information sent |
| The requester asked for details on payments made by the Attorney General's Chambers regarding the IOM Law Society compulsory PII scheme for the 2020/21 financial year. The authority responded that no such payments were made because the insurance scheme applies only to members in private practice. | ||
| 2021-12-06 | professional body costs policy | All information sent |
| The request sought the professional body costs policy and total expenditure for the Attorney General's Chambers. The authority disclosed that it follows Civil Service Regulation G16 for subscriptions and provided a breakdown of payments made in the 2021/2022 financial period. | ||
| 2021-10-04 | Costs incurred in the Dr Tinwell court and employment tribunals | All information sent |
| The requester asked for the total costs incurred by the Attorney General's Chambers in Dr Tinwell's court and employment tribunal cases and confirmation of an out-of-court settlement. The authority disclosed that it does not record advocate time costs, noted a £10,000 cost order against the appellant, and confirmed the employment dispute was settled on confidential terms. | ||
| 2021-09-13 | data protection breach notifications | All information sent |
| The request sought monthly statistics on how often the Attorney General's Chambers contacted victims of sensitive data breaches over a 24-month period, along with details on apology policies and reporting strategies. The authority disclosed that only two breaches involving special category data occurred in that timeframe and clarified their policy on issuing apologies without requiring victims to quantify distress. | ||
| 2021-04-12 | Number of Charities closing down | All information sent |
| The request sought the number of charities that ceased operating in the Isle of Man for 2019, 2020, and 2021. The Attorney General's Chambers disclosed the specific counts for each year, noting that some closures involved mergers or asset transfers rather than total dissolution. | ||
| 2020-09-18 | Prosecution of Criminal Offences | All information sent |
| A request was made to the Attorney General's Chambers for details on the practical management of criminal prosecutions, including documentation of evidential tests and specific policies for road races. The authority responded that while operational processes exist, the specific documentation requested is not 'held' by the AGC, and referred the requester to existing public codes and court practice directions. | ||
| 2020-08-12 | Legal costs | All information sent |
| A request was made for the total legal costs incurred by the Attorney General's Chambers regarding a trespass case against Mr. Dan Richardson on behalf of the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture. The authority disclosed that the total disbursement costs to date were £680.00. | ||
| 2020-06-24 | Defence Costs | All information sent |
| The request sought data on the number of not-guilty cases where the Attorney General's Chambers covered defence costs since April 2017, along with the total amounts paid. The authority disclosed a breakdown of cases and costs for the years 2017-18, 2018-19, and 2019-20, confirming all information was released. | ||
| 2020-05-22 | Number of Juveniles sentenced to custody for Covid-19 Regs breaches. | All information sent |
| The request sought the total number of juveniles sentenced to custody at the Secure Unit for breaching Emergency Powers Regulations 2020 related to COVID-19. The Attorney General's Chambers confirmed that one juvenile had been sentenced to custody for such an offence as of May 2020. | ||
| 2020-05-11 | Restraint Order Statistics | All information sent |
| The request sought annual statistics on Restraint Orders from 2016 to 2020, but the authority only provided specific data for 2019 and 2020, referring the requester to previous FOI responses for earlier years. The response confirmed the number of orders granted and their current status under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2008. | ||
| 2019-10-11 | Marina Development | All information sent |
| A request was made for details on expressions of interest for a new Isle of Man marina, including submission numbers and next steps. The Attorney General's Chambers disclosed that 20 interests were registered with 3 valid submissions and outlined the current pre-qualification stage of the procurement process. | ||
| 2019-06-03 | Statutory Boards - Lay Board Members Pay | All information sent |
| The requester asked for current pay rates for lay board members of Statutory Boards and when they were last changed. The Attorney General's Chambers disclosed that rates are defined by the Statutory Boards (Annual Sums) Order 2015, which came into operation on 1 November 2015, and provided a copy of the document. | ||
| 2019-01-03 | Discharges of Restraint Orders | All information sent |
| The request sought statistics on the discharge of Restraint Orders obtained under the Proceeds of Crime Act in 2017 and 2018. The Attorney General's Chambers disclosed that 14 of the 27 orders from 2017 were discharged and provided a breakdown of the status of 10 orders obtained in 2018. | ||
| 2018-03-09 | Prosecutions for breaches of the AML/CFT Code | All information sent |
| The request sought statistics on prosecutions for breaches of the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Code from 2011 to 2018. The Attorney General's Chambers disclosed that only two cases were referred in 2017, with one resulting in a guilty plea and the other still pending. | ||
| 2017-10-30 | General questions regarding number of advocates, cases and costs | All information sent |
| A Freedom of Information request sought details on staffing, costs, and case volumes at the Isle of Man Attorney General's Chambers. The authority disclosed specific staff numbers and total budget figures but noted that individual cost breakdowns were unavailable until the end of the financial year. | ||
| 2017-09-04 | By what statutory instrument was common law abolished in the IOM | All information sent |
| The requester asked for the statutory instrument that abolished common law in the Isle of Man and how this was disclosed to the public. The Attorney General's Chambers clarified that common law was not abolished entirely, noting it still applies to civil law, while the Criminal Code 1872 replaced it for criminal offences, and directed the requester to public legislative websites for historical records. | ||
| 2017-08-31 | Unabridged version of the Wooler Report | All information sent |
| The requester asked if an unabridged version of the Wooler Report is available to the public. The Attorney General's Chambers confirmed that only the Executive Summary is publicly available, not the full report. | ||