New laws that confirm the independence of the judiciary show the Isle of Man to be a responsible jurisdiction, the Legislative Council heard last week.

The Council of Ministers (Amendment) Bill puts on to a formal legal footing the recognition of the principles of the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary.

It also puts a responsibility on the Council of Minister to ensure that happens.

Attorney General John Quinn said the message it sent out to the international community was: ’We are a mature and responsible jurisdiction that is taking responsibility for more and more aspects of our own good governance.’

As the Legislative Council gave the bill a first reading on Tuesday, he said its significance ’should not be under-estimated’.

The principles it enshrined, although currently unwritten, had been accepted by convention as if they were in law.

’This convention has served us well,’ said Mr Quinn. ’However, times are changing and in many cases conventions are being replaced by statute law both here and on the adjacent island.

’The Bill provides assurance to the judiciary that its independence is so important that the duty on the Council of Ministers to uphold and support that independence should be stated in law.’

Although it was not written in law, the responsibility for ensuring the independence of the judiciary and the rule of law had sat with the position of the lieutenant governor, on behalf of the Crown.

Mr Quinn said the move to put responsibility with the Council of Ministers was important because it was ’another step along the road of the island taking fuller and greater responsibility for its own affairs and it represents a further constitutional development on the part of the island’.

The Bill has already passed through the House of Keys. It will require to go through further stages of scrutiny in the upper chamber before it can become law.