Civil Registry

Summary

The requester asked for policies and records regarding the recruitment, due diligence, and conflict of interest checks for Registrars in local authorities. The Department for Enterprise responded that the Registrar General has no authority over local recruitment processes and therefore holds no such policies or records, though it does require training and competency assessment before granting a warrant.

Key Facts

• The Registrar General has no authority over the recruitment processes of local authorities.
• Local authorities determine the suitability of candidates before seeking a registrar's warrant.
• Candidates must attend training at the Civil Registry Office in Douglas to demonstrate required competencies.
• The Senior Registrar assesses if a candidate is a 'fit and proper person' after training before requesting a warrant.
• No complaints have been received about registrars since Commissioners began delivering the service in 2013.

Data Disclosed

• 2026-01-20
• 2026-01-21
• 5244082
• 2013
• 01624 686400
• IM1 1EX

Original Request

Under the Freedom of Information Act 2015, I request the following recorded information regarding the warranting of Registrars operating from local authorities. 1. Selection Criteria: A copy of any policy, guidance, or "directions" issued by the Registrar General to local authorities detailing the minimum recruitment standards (e.g., public advertisement requirements) that must be met before a Registrar's warrant is granted. 2. Due Diligence Records: Records or checklists used by the Central Registry to verify that a local authority appointee is a "fit and proper person" for a warrant, specifically regarding the verification of a fair and open selection process. 3. Conflict of Interest Guidance: Any recorded guidance held by the Registry regarding the assessment of potential "nepotism" when a local authority nominates a candidate for a statutory warrant where there is no evidence of an open and competitive recruitment process.

Data Tables (1)

Full Response Text

Freedom of Information Co-ordinator 1st Floor, St Georges Court Upper Church Street, Douglas Isle of Man IM1 1EX

Telephone: (01624 686400) Website: https://www.iomdfenterprise.im/

Our ref: 5244082 21 January 2026

Dear ###

We write further to your request received 20 January 2026, which states:

"Under the Freedom of Information Act 2015, I request the following recorded information regarding the warranting of Registrars operating from local authorities.

1. Selection Criteria: A copy of any policy, guidance, or "directions" issued by the Registrar General to local authorities detailing the minimum recruitment standards (e.g., public advertisement requirements) that must be met before a Registrar's warrant is granted.

2. Due Diligence Records: Records or checklists used by the Central Registry to verify that a local authority appointee is a "fit and proper person" for a warrant, specifically regarding the verification of a fair and open selection process.

3. Conflict of Interest Guidance: Any recorded guidance held by the Registry regarding the assessment of potential "nepotism" when a local authority nominates a candidate for a statutory warrant where there is no evidence of an open and competitive recruitment process."

Our Response:

1. Aside from the Civil Registry Office in Douglas, civil registration services are provided by the Commissioners at Castletown, Peel and Ramsey. The Registrar General has no authority over, or say in, the local authorities’ recruitment process. In recruiting staff, it will be for the respective local authority to determine if it feels the person being recruited is suitable to undertake registration services before, in turn, seeking a registrar’s warrant from the Registrar General for the new recruit.

2. When any of the above Commissioners seek a registrar’s warrant for a member of staff, the person in question must attend training in the Civil Registry Office in Douglas to enable the request to be properly considered. This enables the Senior Registrar in the Civil Registry to determine if the person successfully demonstrates the required competencies and skills required of a registrar. The period of training is not fixed and may vary from one person to another. At the end of the training period the Senior

Registrar will, if satisfied that the person is a fit and proper person to be a registrar, request a warrant for the person from the Registrar General.

As mentioned above, the Central Registry has no role to play in the recruitment of staff by the Commissioners.

The Registrar General, or indeed the Central Registry, has not received any complaints about a registrar during the time since the Commissioners have been delivering the service (since 2013).

1. Again, as mentioned above, the Central Registry has no role to play in the recruitment of staff by the Commissioners.

Please quote the reference number 5244082 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.

Freedom of Information Co-Ordinator

Registries Building • Deemsters Walk • Bucks Road • Douglas • Isle of Man • IM1 3AR www.gov.im/centralregistry