Attorney General's Chambers
7 FOI requests | Full disclosure rate: 485.7%
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
| Date | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | ||
| 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. | ||
| 2023-09-14 | 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. | ||
| 2022-08-30 | Running costs Attourney Generals Office | Some information sent but part exempt |
| The request sought wage costs for the Attorney General's Office and details regarding legal actions against Dr Ranson, including decision-making levels and total costs. The authority provided links to public accounts for wage data, clarified that litigation decisions rest with the client, and disclosed specific legal fees while citing exemptions for information already available online. | ||
| 2022-03-09 | Job Titles etc | Some information sent but part exempt |
| A request for job titles and salary maxima for all staff at the Attorney General's Chambers was partially fulfilled, disclosing a comprehensive list of roles and pay bands while withholding specific salary figures for certain positions. | ||
| 2020-03-09 | John Quinn's conflict of interest in operation Braid | Some information sent but part exempt |
| The request sought details on why UK barrister Timothy Sinclair Green acted for the Isle of Man Attorney General in Operation Braid and the specific conflict of interest involving John Quinn. While the authority confirmed Green's delegated authority for the investigation, the specific details of the conflict of interest were withheld under FOI exemptions. | ||
| 2019-11-18 | Seconded Attorney General staff member | Some information sent but part exempt |
| The Legal Affairs and Justice Committee requested details regarding a proposed secondment of an Attorney General's Chambers staff member to the Isle of Man Constabulary. The Authority responded that the secondment had not yet taken place, meaning specific details on names, dates, and tasks could not be provided, and any such personal data would be exempt under data protection laws. | ||