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A Deemster (Manx: briw) is a judge in the Isle of Man. The High Court of Justice of the Isle of Man is presided over by a deemster or, in the case of the appeal division of that court, a deemster and the Judge of Appeal. The deemsters also promulgate the Laws on Tynwald Day by reading out brief summaries of them in English and Manx.

In the past, the First and Second Deemsters had ex officio seats in the Legislative Council of the Isle of Man. The Second Deemster was removed from the council in 1965^[1] and the First Deemster in 1975.^[2]

There are currently (2017) three full-time Deemsters. These are the First Deemster and Clerk of the Rolls (who is also the Deputy Governor), the Second Deemster, and an additional full-time Deemster. The offices of First Deemster, Second Deemster and Clerk of the Rolls are ancient offices. The offices of First Deemster and Clerk of the Rolls were combined in 1918,^[3] and a new office of Deputy Deemster was created in 2002^[4] but abolished in 2009.^[5] Additional part-time Deemsters (previously called Acting Deemsters) are appointed from time to time to hear a particular case.

The First Deemster, Second Deemster and Judge of Appeal are appointed by, and hold office during the pleasure of, the Lord of Mann^[6] (acting on the advice of the UK's Secretary of State for Justice). Additional deemsters are appointed by the Lieutenant Governor on the recommendation of the First Deemster.^[7] As ex officio Deputy Governor, the First Deemster acts in place of the Lieutenant Governor in the latter's absence, or during a vacancy in that office.

Unlike judges in the United Kingdom, Deemsters have no security of tenure and thus have no legal protection against dismissal by the government. The appointment and removal of Manx judges on the formal advice of United Kingdom politicians is seen as an effective alternative.

Current Deemsters

The current Deemsters are:

First Deemster (Manx: Y Chied Vriw)^[8] and Clerk of the Rolls (Manx: Cleragh ny Lioaryn), Andrew Corlett
Second Deemster (Y Nah Vriw), John Needham
Deemster Graeme Cook and
Judge of Appeal, Jeremy Storey

There is now officially a "Third Deemster", replacing the previous "Deemster".^[9]^[10]

List of Deemsters

Owing to a lack of early records, the list cannot record any deemsters before 1408, and is therefore not necessarily complete for the earlier years. The dates given are those for the first appearance of a name in the records, although the person may have been in office for some time previously.

The list has been compiled from the Liber Juramentorum (the book recording the oaths taken by officers on appointment), the Isle of Man Statutes with additional names from the archive of David Craine.^[11]

First Deemsters

John McCristen, 1408
John Clerke, 1417
William McCrysten, 1419
Jenkin Moore, 1419
John Moore, 1496
William McCorkill, 1497
Thomas Norris, 1511
Edward Corkill, 1524
Thomas Sansbury, 1535
John Lucas, 1537
Robert Samsbury, 1540
Hugh Clarke, 1567
Robert Cristen, 1576
John Curghey, 1585
Ewan Christian, 1598
Henry Radcliffe, 1629
Hugh Cannell, 1637
John Cannell, 1647
John Christian, 1660
Thomas Norris, 1660
William Qualtrough, 1663
Thomas H. Fletcher, 1663
Edward Christian, 1669
Charles Christian
(assistant in the absence of his brother Edward), 1678
Daniel Mylrea, 1693
John Parr, 1693
Nicholas Christian, 1724
Charles Moore, 1736
John Taubman, 1739
Daniel Lace, 1757–1812
John Quayle, 1772
John Lace, 1793
Norris Moore, 1812–1819
Thomas Gawne, 1819–1823
John Cosnahan, 1819
John McHutchin, 1820
John Christian, 1823–1847
John Joseph Heywood, 1847–1855
Sir William Drinkwater, 1855–1898
Sir James Gell, 1898–1900
Thomas Kneen, 1900–1905
Stewart Stevenson Moore, 1905–1916^[12]

First Deemsters and Clerks of the Rolls

Stewart Stevenson Moore, 1916–1921
Charles Cheslyn Callow, 1921–1934
Reginald Douglas Farrant, 1934–1947
William Percy Cowley, 1947–1958
Sydney James Kneale, 1958–1969
George Edgar Moore, 1969–1974
Robert Kinley Eason, 1974–1980
Arthur Christian Luft, 1980–1988
John William Corrin, 1988–1998
Thomas William Cain, 1998–2003
Michael Kerruish, 2003–2010
David Doyle 2010–2018
Andrew Corlett, 2018–present

Second Deemsters

Peter John Heywood, 1765–1768
Daniel Mylrea, 1768–1773
Thomas Moore, 1773–1794
John Crellin, 1794–1816
Thomas Gawne, 1816–1819
John Christian, 1819–1820
John McHutchin, 1820–1821
John Joseph Heywood, 1821–1847
Sir William Drinkwater, 1847–1855
John Clucas Stephen, 1855–1880
Sir Alured Dumbell, 1880–1883
Richard Sherwood, 1883–1884
John Frederick Gill, 1884–1899
Thomas Kneen, 1899–1900
Stewart Stevenson Moore, 1900–1905
Charles Callow, 1905–1921
Frederick Malcolm Lamothe, 1921–1925
Reginald Douglas Farrant, 1925–1934
William Percy Cowley, 1934–1947
Ramsey Gelling Johnson, 1947–1954
James Arthur Cain, 1954–1957
Sydney James Kneale, 1957–1958
Bruce MacPherson, 1958–1963
George Edgar Moore, 1963–1969
Robert Eason, 1969–1974
Arthur Luft, 1974–1980
John William Corrin, 1980–1988
Henry Callow, 1988–1993
Thomas William Cain, 1993–1998
Michael Kerruish, 1998–2003
David Doyle, 2003–2010
Andrew Corlett, 2011–2018
John Needham, 2018–present

Deemsters

Andrew Corlett, 2009-2011
Alastair Montgomerie, 2011–2019
Graeme Cook, 2020–present

Deputy Deemsters

Andrew Williamson, 2002–2007
Andrew Corlett, 2007–2009

In fiction

One of the main characters in Alfred Hitchcock 1929 drama film The Manxman is the deemster, and his holding this position is of central importance to the film's plot. The film is based on the 1894 novel of the same name by the Manx writer Hall Caine, who published another novel with a similar theme with the title The Deemster (1887).

The 1953 George Bellairs crime novel "Half-Mast for the Deemster" features the murder of the Deemster.

References

^ Isle of Man Constitution (Amendment) Act 1965
^ Isle of Man Constitution (Amendment) Act 1975
^ Judicature (Amendment) Act 1918; see now High Court Act 1991 s.3A(6).
^ Civil Jurisdiction Act 2001 s.7
^ Administration of Justice Act 2008
^ High Court Act 1991 s.3A
^ High Court Act 1991 s.3B
^ "Chapter 4 Manx Reminiscences, 1911".
^ [1]; this title was also used in the 2023 Tynwald Ceremony.
^ https://tynwald.org.im/spfile?file=/business/pp/Reports/2020-PP-0191(1).pdf ^{[bare URL PDF]}
^ Journal of The Manx Museum, Sunday, January 01, 1961; Page: 42
^ Journal of The Manx Museum, Sunday, January 01, 1961; Page: 42