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
| Date | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 2018-07-02 | Restraint and Confiscation Orders | Some information sent but not all held |
| The request sought annual statistics on restraint and confiscation orders made by the Attorney General since 2008. The authority disclosed partial data from 2011 to July 2018, stating that complete records for earlier years were not held. | ||
| 2018-05-29 | Equality before and under the Law | Information not held |
| The requester asked if specific public officials and law administrators in the Isle of Man are subject to the law, requesting a simple answer. The Attorney General's Chambers confirmed that all listed individuals are indeed subject to the laws of the Isle of Man. | ||
| 2018-04-18 | Legal Advice to Remove Electors from Register | Information not held |
| A request was made for legal advice provided prior to April 2015 regarding the removal of electors from the Register of Electors under the Registration of Electors Act 2006. The Attorney General's Chambers responded that no written record of this information is held. | ||
| 2018-03-23 | Electoral Roll Fines | Some information sent but not all held |
| The requester asked for the number of people fined and the total amount collected for failing to complete electoral roll returns on time. The Attorney General's Chambers responded that no prosecutions were brought, meaning zero people were fined and no money was collected. | ||
| 2018-03-16 | Prosecutions under sections 71 and 72 of the Criminal Code 1872 | Information not held |
| A request was made for prosecution statistics under specific sections of the Criminal Code 1872 and the Infanticide and Infant Life (Preservation) Act 1938, but the Attorney General's Chambers stated they do not hold this information. | ||
| 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. | ||
| 2018-01-04 | The outcome of Motoring prosecutions | Some information sent but not all held |
| The request sought the ratio of acquittals to convictions for motoring prosecutions over three years, broken down by offence category. The Attorney General's Chambers provided data for General Gaol trials from 2015-2017 and Summary Court trials for 2017 only, but could not supply Summary Court statistics for 2015 and 2016 as they are not held by the authority. | ||
| 2017-12-06 | Request for details relating to the creation of a public defence unit | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| A request was made for all documentation regarding the creation of a public defence unit, but the Attorney General's Chambers withheld all information citing exemptions related to the conduct of public business and information already accessible by other means. | ||
| 2017-10-30 | Accounts of the Rest of old Horses and the MSPCA | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| A request was made for the accounts of the Rest of old Horses and the MSPCA, but no information was disclosed because the data is already reasonably accessible to the public via the Department of Economic Development. | ||
| 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. | ||
| 2017-06-30 | Report DHSC management of case files & relationships with service user | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| A request was made for a report on the management of case files and relationships with service users in the Department of Health and Social Care, but the information was withheld as it is exempt under section 41 of the Act pending future publication. | ||