The Isle of Man’s First Deemster and Clerk of the Rolls, His Honour Andrew Corlett, has been elected as an Honorary Master of the Bench of Gray’s Inn.

Gray’s Inn is one of the four Inns of Court – the professional associations for barristers and judges in England and Wales.

Barristers practising in England and Wales must belong to one of the Inns of Court, as only members can be formally called to the Bar. The Inns also play an important role in training and professional development.

Masters of the Bench, known as Benchers, are responsible for the governance of the Inns, although honorary benchers do not have a direct administrative role.

First Deemster Corlett said: ‘It is a particular honour both in a personal sense and for the Island’s judiciary and legal profession to be elected. It is my hope that it will strengthen the close historical links between the Isle of Man and Gray’s Inn.’

Mr Corlett has also been appointed by His Majesty the King to the Courts of Appeal in Jersey and Guernsey.

The role reflects a recent practice where senior judges from the three Crown Dependencies sit in each other’s courts.

It is expected that the First Deemster will sit in Jersey and Guernsey for around two to three weeks each year. He has recently returned from Guernsey where he heard appeals covering criminal, civil and matrimonial matters.

He said he is looking forward to the opportunity to sit in different jurisdictions which nevertheless face similar legal issues.

The Bailiffs of Jersey and Guernsey have previously sat in the Isle of Man as acting deemsters alongside the Island’s judge of appeal and will continue to do so when required.

First Deemster Corlett was called to the Bar of England and Wales by Gray’s Inn in 1984. He later returned to the Isle of Man as a practising advocate and joined the Island’s judiciary in 2007.

He was appointed First Deemster and Clerk of the Rolls in 2018.