The island’s Attorney General’s Chambers has criticised publicity given to a report on its service which staff say is five years out of date.

The report, which was ordered by the then Chief Minister Allan Bell, was released following a Freedom of Information request last month and reported in the Courier last week.

It highlighted a list of failings and made various recommendations for improvement.

The Attorney General’s Chambers responded to the news with a succession of ’tweets’ on social media but when asked directly for a response by the Manx Independent, refused to offer a comment, saying only: ’We will not be making any further response in respect of the matter, however the attorney general will be publishing his annual report for 2016/17 in early August. I would point you in the direction of our current business plan.’

The 2012 report was compiled by UK barrister Stephen Wooler, a former assistant director of public prosecutions for England and Wales, and Sally Hobbs, a former member of the Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate.

It said much work done in chambers was ’generally satisfactory’, but cited a lack of effective leadership or structures to deal with the absence of the then Attorney General Stephen Harding. The report mentions ’an absence of interest and knowledge in the principles of good management’.

It recommended appointing an assistant director of prosecutions and prosecuting in the name of the director of prosecutions rather than the attorney general, to emphasise the separation between government and the legal profession.

When asked, no-one at the AG’s Chambers would comment or explain how specific points raised in the 2012 report had been addressed.

However, the chambers’ business plan does outline a number of improvements.

In his introduction, Attorney General John Quinn says: ’The Attorney General’s Chambers is now a different place from that which I joined three years ago.’

He cites better customer focus, computerised workflow and records management and a structure that ’recognises the benefits of strong leadership and good management.’

He also mentions savings to government spending and other cost cutting effected by reducing their office space by 50 per cent.

’Inevitably some faces in chambers have changed, and after successful recruitment we are fully staffed. Overall the level of camaraderie and team work has improved,’ he said.

The island’s first solicitor general has also been appointed to assist the attorney general. On social media chambers rejected criticisms made in the original report.