An MHK is crying foul over the appointment procedure for a new appeal court judge in the Isle of Man.

Chris Robertshaw failed this week in an attempt to suspend a current recruitment process.

Mr Robertshaw was angry that a change to make the position full-time was taken without consulting Tynwald. He hit out at the short timescale between the position being advertised and the deadline for applying - something he believes prevented candidates from off-island putting their names forward.

The advertisement was first placed on April 24 and the deadline was this Monday.

Mr Robertshaw argued that leaving just 13 days to apply made it ’effectively a closed shop advert’.

But Chief Minister Howard Quayle said: ’The period of advert is not short but is an acceptable length of time. It takes into account the impending retirement of the present Judge of Appeal (Geoffrey Tattersall) in September.’

Mr Quayle rejected the argument that Tynwald should approve any change from the current part-time position.

’This comes to the Council of Ministers, and the Council of Ministers have had a business case where there is an additional cost involved in employing a full-time person,’ he said.

’However, there are significant savings to be made as a result of having a full-time Judge of Appeal as a result of freeing up time from the First Deemster who has, occasionally, to hold these appeals himself.’

But Mr Robertshaw said that, while it was a Crown appointment, the framework for the role had been under Tynwald’s oversight for more than a century.

He sought permission to bring in an urgent motion calling for the process to be suspended until the government obtained Tynwald authority to make the post full-time.

However, while the House of Keys voted 13-11 in favour of allowing a debate to go ahead, the Legislative Council voted 5-2 against, so it was not permitted.

Those against were: Keys - Ashford, Beecroft, Boot, Cannan, Cregeen, Harmer, Malarkey, Quayle, Shimmins, Skelly, Thomas; Council - Anderson, Coleman, Corkish, Crookall, Henderson.

Mr Robertshaw said Tynwald had been shown disrespect by not being shown the business case. But, he believed an appointment was imminent, so there was no chance to bring the matter back next month.