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A number of petitions for redress of grievances were handed in to the government by members of the public during Tynwald Day on Monday.
The traditional practice allows people to personally submit their petitions to Lieutenant Governor Sir John Lorimer, and if found to be in order they may then be considered by Tynwald if a member decides to take it on.
Tynwald’s standing orders were altered in 2024, meaning that petitioners no longer have to have a ‘personal grievance’ in order to present a petition about their issue.
Two representatives of the ‘No Offshore Turbines’ campaign submitted a petition calling for a review of the Isle of Man Government's policy on leasing the island's seabed for offshore wind development.
Georgina O'Sullivan, of Garff, and Ian Strafford, of Laxey, said they were presenting the petition on behalf of more than 9,000 people who had signed in opposition to the proposed offshore wind farm project Mooir Vannin.
The pair said Tynwald's petition rules prevented them from referring directly to the proposed offshore wind development, with the petition focusing on the policy and decision-making process surrounding seabed leasing.
‘If they are going to sign over our territorial seas for such an extended period of time over 35 years, then that must have a free vote within Tynwald itself,’ Ian said on Tynwald Day.
‘Our elected representatives can then represent the electors, while Tynwald can hold any decision against Mooir Vannin until those things have actually been done. Then the public can be represented.’
Elsewhere, Simon Mann from Ballaugh called on the Government to introduce a Gift Aid-style scheme to boost funding for charities and churches in the island.
’I want the island to adopt a system similar to those operating in the UK and Jersey, allowing registered charities to reclaim an additional 25% on eligible donations,’ he said.
‘For some reason, our island has left us short in this regard.’
Persistent Tynwald petitioner Trevor Cowin submitted 11 petitions again this year, a number of which referred to previous petitions which weren’t picked up by MHKs.
He also lodged two new petitions arising from an ongoing dispute over access to personal data and the handling of a complaint by the island’s Information Commissioner.
‘I was told I had to submit my complaint via a form, and I thought that was wrong because there’s no legal requirement to do so,’ Trevor said.
Meanwhile, Jenni Quiggin also submitted the same petitions to Tynwald as last year, most notably enquiring about the way police complaints are dealt with in the island.
The petition raises concerns about governance, oversight, and complaint-handling across multiple Isle of Man public bodies, alleging systemic failures in safeguarding, evidence assessment, and vulnerability recognition.
Manx film advocate George Hargreaves also returned this year, submitting four petitions.
‘One of these is that there should be protection for Manx songwriters when receiving royalties for their public performances,’ he said.
‘The big one is calling for a public enquiry into Cinemanx, which is currently operating at a net loss while in government hands. That makes it even more important that the catalogue is managed commercially, transparently and with a view to creating value for the Manx people.’
Anti-vaccine campaigner Courtenay Heading submitted another petition to Tynwald, looking for an investigation into the scientific basis of virus isolation, PCR testing, and evidence for disease transmission.
The petition also questions the evidential basis of Covid-19 policies and links them to increased suicides in 2020. He also alleges that current public policy lacks sufficient evidence.
Peel commissioner Katryna Baptist submitted three petitions, with one of them calling for redress in relation to the absence of adequate statutory protection, accountability and independent oversight concerning the rights of elected members of local authorities when discharging their public duties.
The other two petitions were related to strengthening statutory safeguarding requirements for all individuals who work with children in the island, as well as stronger regulations in the keeping of honey bee hives.
Another petitioner was Sean Bostrom from Laxey, who has called for a ban on the sale of disposable barbecues.
‘They cause a lot of damage to wildlife, they’re very prone to catching fire and they’re often left on beaches,’ he said. ‘They’re just not a very good idea.’
Former MHK Martyn Perkins has also submitted a petition this year, asking for the boundaries commission to review the Onchan to Garff border ‘situation’.
‘There are people in Onchan parish who are actually classed as being in Garff, and they don’t like it,’ Martyn explained.
‘It was last reviewed about 20 years ago and my petition is asking for them to have another look at it.’
Stephen Holmes, who now lives in Wigan, submitted a petition calling for Tynwald to recognise that the Children and Young Persons Act has been misapplied in the Isle of Man, stating that ‘English law is not Manx law’.
‘I was denied my right to parental responsibility to my children,’ he said.
‘An English court made an order in 2004 and that order was purportedly registered in the Isle of Man High Court, but it wasn’t registered.’
On a similar subject, petitioner Nick Williamson called for a formal review of family court procedures in the island, citing concerns about how certain processes compare with those used in England and Wales.
It requests the establishment of a Select Committee to examine family court practices and whether additional safeguards should be introduced.
‘On many matters in family law, the Isle of Man operates without protections and safeguards that England has required for over 25 years,’ he said.
‘I've identified eight specific areas of reform that would bring the Isle of Man's family courts into this century and deliver better outcomes for families and children.’
