When the former head of the Isle of Man Constabulary's Financial Crime Unit won a landmark judgement in 2005, over the monitoring of his phone calls while he was suspended from the Manx police force it seemed to send a clear message to sceptics of Communication Intercept regulations that the systems in place would ensure national security whilst protecting individual rights.

However since that landmark decision the whole system appears to have unravelled as a sequence of appeal, decision and counter appeal has unfolded.

In the latest development the Interception of Communication Tribunal has taken the unusual step of having the verbatim transcript of an apology the Tribunal has issued published in the newspapers.

Meanwhile the covering introduction with the apology transcript makes it clear that the Interception of Communications Tribunal has lodged an appeal against the Deemster's (Isle of Man High Court Judge) ruling that the initial judgment of the tribunal be quashed.

Initially if media reports were to be believed all out war had broken out between the Tribunal and the Attorney General (AG).

This from Manx Radio 5 February 2007:

"A bitter row between the Attorney General and the Island's bugging tribunal has been exposed in a civil court judgement. The Interception of Communications Tribunal fired the first salvo after accusing John Corlett MLC of illegally obtaining a copy of one of its reports. But the legal war of words quickly escalated, with the AG threatening to report tribunal chairman Mark Moroney to the Island's Law Society for unprofessional conduct. In return, the tribunal claimed Mr Corlett was trying to intimidate it and claimed he could face prosecution under the theft act."

Full radio news report at:

(voir le site)

Then this from the Isle of Man Examiner 27 March 2007:

"It is now accepted by the Tribunal that, contrary to the possibility made in paragraph 14 of my said Affidavit, that at no stage did the Attorney General act in breach of the criminal law. The Tribunal tenders its unreserved apology for any offence and damage to reputation that such an allegation may have caused to the Attorney General." and later: "I can appreciate the acute embarrassment caused to the Attorney General by the recent publication of this correspondence in the press. I wish to make it clear that there is no allegation of any criminal conduct whatever in respect of these matters concerning the Attorney General. As mentioned previously this is an unreserved apology."

The above is an excerpt - full Isle of Man newspapers report and transcript of the Tribunals apology at:

(voir le site)

Given all the confusion surrounding this issue involving an Oversight Body, the Attorney General, the Chief Constable and a Deemster the Manx public could be forgiven for asking just what is going on?

In the circumstances, and as this episode becomes even more protracted, it may transpire that the AGs decisions to appeal the Tribunals initial judgement was ill-judged and not in the public interest.

J B Moffatt Director of Information Celtic League

27/03/07

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