Cost of running Attorney General's Chambers

Summary

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.

Key Facts

• There are 36 qualified lawyers currently employed at the Attorney General's Chambers.
• There are 45 non-lawyer staff members currently employed at the Chambers.
• The authority does not hold separate information regarding total remuneration for legal versus non-legal roles.
• No rent is paid for the office accommodation at Belgravia House as it is a Government-owned property.
• The overall total cost of running the Chambers was not provided due to the inability to compile the data.

Data Disclosed

• 36
• 45
• 2023-09-14
• 2023-09-21
• 33-34 Circular Road
• Belgravia House

Exemptions Cited

• Section 11(3)(b) of the Freedom of Information Act 2015 (practical refusal: creation or derivation of information)
• Section 8(3)(a) of the Freedom of Information Act 2015 (not required to create information)
• Section 8(3)(c) of the Freedom of Information Act 2015 (not required to undertake substantial compilation)
• Section 11(3)(a) of the Freedom of Information Act 2015 (information not held)

Original Request

Please can you confirm the following: 1. What is the total number of qualified lawyers (including advocates, solicitors or attorneys) currently employed at the Attorney General's Chambers (including but not limited to civil, criminal, commercial, family, litigation, public law, property or ICART enforcement and whether full or part time)? Such number to include any employed lawyers currently on sick leave, maternity leave, suspended or absent from work for any other reason. 2. What was the total remuneration paid to such lawyers working at the Attorney General's Chambers in the last financial year? 3. What is the current total number of persons other than lawyers employed at the Attorney General's Chambers (including but not limited to staff managerial, administrative, secretarial, IT, HR, and financial roles and whether full or part time)? 4. What was the total amount of rent paid for office accommodation by the Attorney General's Chambers in respect of 33-34 Circular Road, Douglas in the last financial year? 5. What was the overall total cost of running the Attorney General's Chambers in the last financial year (all expenditure including but not limited to remuneration, rent, utility costs, insurances, IT, telecommunications and property maintenance)? Thank you

Data Tables (1)

Full Response Text

XXXX
Attorney General's Chambers 2nd floor Belgravia House Circular Road, Douglas Isle of Man, IM1 1AE Telephone: (01624) 685452
E-mail: attgen@gov.im

Our ref: 3401737 20 September 2023

Dear XXXX

We write further to your request, received 14 September 2023, which states:

"Please can you confirm the following:

1. What is the total number of qualified lawyers (including advocates, solicitors or attorneys) currently employed at the Attorney General's Chambers (including but not limited to civil, criminal, commercial, family, litigation, public law, property or ICART enforcement and whether full or part time)? Such number to include any employed lawyers currently on sick leave, maternity leave, suspended or absent from work for any other reason.

2. What was the total remuneration paid to such lawyers working at the Attorney General's Chambers in the last financial year?

3. What is the current total number of persons other than lawyers employed at the Attorney General's Chambers (including but not limited to staff managerial, administrative, secretarial, IT, HR, and financial roles and whether full or part time)?

4. What was the total amount of rent paid for office accommodation by the Attorney General's Chambers in respect of 33-34 Circular Road, Douglas in the last financial year?

5. What was the overall total cost of running the Attorney General's Chambers in the last financial year (all expenditure including but not limited to remuneration, rent, utility costs, insurances, IT, telecommunications and property maintenance)?

Thank you"

Please find below our response to your request: 1. What is the total number of qualified lawyers (including advocates, solicitors or attorneys) currently employed at the Attorney General's Chambers (including but not limited to civil, criminal, commercial, family, litigation, public law, property or ICART enforcement and whether full or part time)? Such number to include any employed lawyers currently on

sick leave, maternity leave, suspended or absent from work for any other reason.

36 [note this is persons not FTE]

1. What was the total remuneration paid to such lawyers working at the Attorney General's Chambers in the last financial year?

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance a practical refusal reason applies under section 11(3)(b) of the Freedom of Information Act 2015 (“the Act”), as complying with the request for information would require the public authority to do one or more of the matters mentioned in section 8(3) of the Act [things a public authority is not required to do by the Act], ie 8(3)(a) [create or derive information from information that it holds]; and (c) [undertake substantial compilation or collation of information that it holds].

In the interests of providing advice and assistance [s15 of the Act], the Attorney General’s Chambers does not hold separate information in respect of total remuneration for legal and non-legal roles.

1. What is the current total number of persons other than lawyers employed at the Attorney General's Chambers (including but not limited to staff managerial, administrative, secretarial, IT, HR, and financial roles and whether full or part time)?

45 [note this is persons not FTE]

1. What was the total amount of rent paid for office accommodation by the Attorney General's Chambers in respect of 33-34 Circular Road, Douglas in the last financial year?

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance a practical refusal reason applies under section 11(3)(a) [the public authority does not hold or cannot, after taking reasonable steps to do so, find the information that the applicant has requested].

In the interests of providing advice and assistance [s15 of the Act], Belgravia House, the building at which the Attorney General’s Chambers is located, is a Government owned property and no rent is paid in respect of such.

1. What was the overall total cost of running the Attorney General's Chambers in the last financial year (all expenditure including but not limited to remuneration, rent, utility costs, insurances, IT, telecommunications and property maintenance)?

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance an absolute exemption applies under section 20(2)(b) [it is available on the internet or from any other reasonably accessible source].

In the interests of providing advice and assistance [s15 of the Act], information pertaining to the Government budget for 2022/23 can be found via the following link:

www.gov.im/about-the-government/departments/the-treasury/budget/2022-23- budget/

Please quote the reference number 3401737 in any future communications.

Your right to request a review

If you are unhappy with this response to your freedom of information request, you may ask us to carry out an internal review of the response, by completing a complaint form and submitting it electronically or by delivery/post.

An electronic version of our complaint form can be found by going to our website at https://services.gov.im/freedom-of-information/Review. If you would like a paper version of our complaint form to be sent to you by post, please contact me and I will be happy to arrange for this. Your review request should explain why you are dissatisfied with this response, and should be made as soon as practicable. We will respond as soon as the review has been concluded.

If you are not satisfied with the result of the review, you then have the right to appeal to the Information Commissioner for a decision on;

1. Whether we have responded to your request for information in accordance with Part 2 of the Freedom of Information Act 2015; or

2. Whether we are justified in refusing to give you the information requested.

In response to an application for review, the Information Commissioner may, at any time, attempt to resolve a matter by negotiation, conciliation, mediation or another form of alternative dispute resolution and will have regard to any outcome of this in making any subsequent decision.

More detailed information on your right to a review can be found on the Information Commissioner’s website at www.inforights.im.

Should you have any queries concerning this letter, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Further information about freedom of information requests can be found at www.gov.im/foi.

I will now close your request as of this date.

Yours sincerely

XXXX