Isle of Man Law Society
Encyclopedia
The Isle of Man Law Society is the professional body in respect of the advocates'
profession in the Isle of Man
.
The Society is the longest established professional body in the Isle of Man, formed by the Law Society Act 1859 passed by Tynwald
while the island's capital was still at Castletown. The Society was established to provide its members with access to a law library, which still exists at the Hall of the Society in Douglas
and holds legal case histories and reference books. The Society's role has developed and, as well as dealing with the legal profession's relationship with government and other bodies, the Society has disciplinary functions in respect of its members and has responsibilities concerning the provision of education and guidance to the membership as a whole.
The Society operates through an elected Council and various special purpose committees, all of whose members serve on a voluntary basis. One place on the Council of the Society is filled by a member nominated and elected by the associate membership of the Society, which nominee must be an associate member.
The Society holds an annual general meeting in January, at which elections to Council are held, and the Council and committees report to the membership at large.
The Society employs a professional chief executive officer and other staff to carry out the administrative role of the Society. The Society's role is to regulate and to provide a service for its members.
Advocate
An advocate is a term for a professional lawyer used in several different legal systems. These include Scotland, South Africa, India, Scandinavian jurisdictions, Israel, and the British Crown dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man...
profession in the Isle of Man
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
.
The Society is the longest established professional body in the Isle of Man, formed by the Law Society Act 1859 passed by Tynwald
Tynwald
The Tynwald , or more formally, the High Court of Tynwald is the legislature of the Isle of Man. It is claimed to be the oldest continuous parliamentary body in the world, consisting of the directly elected House of Keys and the indirectly chosen Legislative Council.The Houses sit jointly, for...
while the island's capital was still at Castletown. The Society was established to provide its members with access to a law library, which still exists at the Hall of the Society in Douglas
Douglas, Isle of Man
right|thumb|250px|Douglas Promenade, which runs nearly the entire length of beachfront in Douglasright|thumb|250px|Sea terminal in DouglasDouglas is the capital and largest town of the Isle of Man, with a population of 26,218 people . It is located at the mouth of the River Douglas, and a sweeping...
and holds legal case histories and reference books. The Society's role has developed and, as well as dealing with the legal profession's relationship with government and other bodies, the Society has disciplinary functions in respect of its members and has responsibilities concerning the provision of education and guidance to the membership as a whole.
The Society operates through an elected Council and various special purpose committees, all of whose members serve on a voluntary basis. One place on the Council of the Society is filled by a member nominated and elected by the associate membership of the Society, which nominee must be an associate member.
The Society holds an annual general meeting in January, at which elections to Council are held, and the Council and committees report to the membership at large.
The Society employs a professional chief executive officer and other staff to carry out the administrative role of the Society. The Society's role is to regulate and to provide a service for its members.
Membership
The Society's membership is divided into four categories:- ordinary members, who are qualified Isle of Man advocates
- associate members, who are lawyers qualified in other jurisdictions who are registered under the Legal Practitioners Registration Act 1986 and who have voluntarily applied to join the Society
- student members, who are trainee advocates currently serving the necessary training period articled to a qualified advocate
- honorary members, being other persons who have been elected to membership under Part I of the Advocates Act 1995.
Presidents
Each president of the Society usually serves two years with effect from the Society's annual general meeting in January, with two preceding years as vice president.- 2001 — Paul Morris
- 2003 — Andrew Corlett (CainsCains (law firm)Cains is one of the largest and oldest law firms in the Isle of Man. Its precise date of founding is not certain, but the firm claims to be over 100 years old...
) - 2005 — Jeremy Callin
- 2007 — Sharon Roberts
- 2009 — Jonathan Wild
- 2011 — Jason Stanley (incumbent)