Legislative Council (Isle of Man)

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The Legislative Council of the Isle of Man is the upper chamber of Tynwald, the Manx legislature.

Known in the Manx language as Yn Choonceil Slattyssagh, it consists of eleven indirectly elected members, known as Members of the Legislative Council or MLCs. The House of Keys votes by secret ballot to elect the MLCs, who must be twenty-one years old and a resident for three years, to four year terms; four members are chosen at a time so that the Council has a rotating membership.

Formerly, the Lieutenant Governor presided over the Legislative Council and over Tynwald Court (a joint session of the Council and the House of Keys). Now, however, the President of Tynwald, who is chosen by the whole Tynwald for a six-year term, is the ex officio President of the Legislative Council, and presides over both the Legislative Council and Tynwald Court, except that the Lieutenant Governor presides once a year on Tynwald Day. Furthermore, the Church of England Bishop of Sodor and Man and the Attorney General appointed by the Monarch of the United Kingdom have seats on the Legislative Council. The President has a casting vote, the Bishop may vote like other members, while the Attorney General may not vote at all.

The original function of the Legislative Council was executive (i.e. giving advice to the Lieutenant Governor) and it's membership was entirely appointed, as follows:

The first 7 were Crown appointments and the last 2 appointments by the Bishop. Reforms were slowly made to reduce the number of judicial and religious appointments and these members were slowly replaced by indirectly elected members. The House of Keys soon removed the Archdeacon of Sodor and Man, the Vicar General and the Receiver General. Then the Lieutenant Governor was removed from the Judicial bench and Clerk of the Rolls became ex officio the First Deemster. Then the Second Deemster was removed from the council in 1965 followed by the First Deemster in 1975 and finally the Lieutenant Governor himself in 1980. Today only the Bishop and the Attorney General remain ex officio appointed members.

The Council does not normally originate legislation (the last Act, the Bill for which was introduced in the Council, was the Sharing of Church Buildings Act 1986). Instead, it reviews legislation from the House of Keys. The Council, being elected by the MHKs themselves, does not have significant authority in Tynwald.

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