The House of Keys has approved a law that guarantees independence of the justice system from political interference.

On Tuesday MHKs granted a third reading to the Council of Ministers (Amendment) Bill, which puts the rule of law on a statutory footing and places an obligation on government ministers to uphold the independence of the judiciary.

Home Affairs Minister Bill Malarkey repeated his assertion it was an important constitutional step.

The Bill will now be sent to the Legislative Council for further scrutiny.