External legal services paid for by AG's Chambers.

Authority	Attorney General's Chambers
Date received	2023-10-26
Outcome	Some information sent but part exempt
Outcome date	2023-11-20
Case ID	3486489

Summary

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.

Key Facts

The Attorney General's Chambers paid £280,270 to external lawyers in 2022.
Payments to external lawyers increased from £89,196 in 2018 to £268,274 in 2021.
The response cited section 11(3)(b) of the Freedom of Information Act 2015 as a practical refusal reason for creating or compiling additional information.
The request covered both Isle of Man and UK law firms for civil and criminal representation.
The case was concluded on 20 November 2023 with reference number 3486489.

Data Disclosed

£280,270
£89,196
£228,504
£249,940
£268,274
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023-10-26
2023-11-20
3486489

Exemptions Cited

Section 11(3)(b) of the Freedom of Information Act 2015 (Practical refusal reason)
Section 8(3)(a) of the Freedom of Information Act 2015 (Create or derive information)
Section 8(3)(b) of the Freedom of Information Act 2015 (Undertake research or analysis)
Section 8(3)(c) of the Freedom of Information Act 2015 (Substantial compilation or collation)

Original Request

Please can you provide the following information: 1. What was the total amount of money paid to external lawyers (i.e. not in-house AG lawyers and whether to firms in the IOM or UK) by the AG's Chambers for work undertaken on behalf of the AG's Chambers in 2022 (to include all instructions such as advice as well as representation in civil and criminal courts)? 2. What was such sum for the years 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021? Thank you.

Data Tables (1)

Data Tables (reformatted)

Year	Total Amount Paid to External Lawyers
2018	£89,196
2019	£228,504
2020	£249,940
2021	£268,274
2022	£280,270

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: 3486489 20 November 2023

Dear XXXX

We write further to your request, received 26 October 2023, which states:

"Please can you provide the following information:

What was the total amount of money paid to external lawyers (i.e. not in-house AG lawyers and whether to firms in the IOM or UK) by the AG's Chambers for work undertaken on behalf of the AG's Chambers in 2022 (to include all instructions such as advice as well as representation in civil and criminal courts)?
What was such sum for the years 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021?

Thank you."

Please find below our response to your request: While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance a practical refusal reason applies to some of the information requested, 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]; (b) [undertake research into, or analysis of, information that it holds]; and (c) [undertake substantial compilation or collation of information that it holds].

However, information relevant to your request and which is readily identifiable and accessible, is provided below:

What was the total amount of money paid to external lawyers (i.e. not in-house AG lawyers and whether to firms in the IOM or UK) by the AG's Chambers for work undertaken on behalf of the AG's Chambers in 2022 (to include all instructions such as advice as well as representation in civil and criminal courts)?

£280,270

What was such sum for the years 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021?

2018 - £89,196 2019 - £228,504 2020 - £249,940 2021 - £268,274

Your right to request a review

Please quote the reference number 3486489 in any future communications.

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