A bid to introduce a law that would prevent the Attorney General from introducing and amending legislation on behalf of the government has been put on hold.

Tanya August-Hanson MLC sought permission to introduce a private member’s bill that would have removed such rights, but last week decided to withdraw the request after it was confirmed the Attorney General’s role in parliament was already being looked at.

The Attorney General, currently John Quinn, sits in the Legislative Council and can introduce new legislation and has indeed done so on a number of occasions. He can is table amendments to draft laws.

Ms August-Hanson told MLCs she was concerned that could create a perceived conflict of interest, as his role was also to provide impartial advice to Tynwald members.

Stressing she was not questioning the integrity of Mr Quinn, Ms August-Hanson said: ’There have been questions as to whether or not the impartiality of the Attorney General’s chambers can be relied upon when parliamentarians are moving amendments to legislation.

’This is evidenced by the sharing of amendments by drafters with government officers before they are signed off, and drafters refusing to aid parliamentarians in producing amendments that do not follow the line of the government bill in its branch-ready form.’

This drove a concern that if an attorney general was instructed to move a bill in Legislative Council, they may be ’under a conflict of interest’.

She asked: ’Might this conflict with the ability to provide impartial advice about that legislation during debate?

’If a change is suggested, would the attorney general be supportive or not?’

Mr Quinn told his Legislative Council colleagues he did not hold a view ’on the appropriateness or otherwise’ of any proposed legislation.

Jane Poole-Wilson, who is chairman of Tynwald’s constitutional and legal affairs and justice committee, said it had already determined, separately, to take a look at the role of the attorney general.

It would report to Tynwald and she asked for any decision on what Ms August-Hanson was proposing to be held over until after that.

Ms August-Hanson agreed to withdraw her motion seeking permission to introduce a bill to restrict the attorney general’s powers.