Tynwald facts for kids

Isle of Man

This article is part of the series: Politics and government of the Isle of Man

Lord of Mann: Elizabeth II Lieutenant Governor: Adam Wood Deputy Governor: David Doyle Tynwald President of Tynwald: Clare Christian Legislative Council President: Clare Christian House of Keys Speaker: Steve Rodan Deputy Speaker: Geoff Corkish Clerk of the House: Roger Phillips Registrar of Member's Interests: Roger Phillips Chaplain: Revd. William Martin Reader of the House: Dr. Brian Stowell Government Council of Ministers Chief Minister: Hon. Allan Bell MHK Minister for the Treasury: Hon. Eddie Teare MHK Minister for Economic Development: Hon. John Shimmin MHK Minister for Environment, Food and Agriculture: Hon. Phil Gawne MHK Minister for Community, Culture and Leisure: Hon. Tim Crookall MHK Minister for Education and Children: Hon. Peter Karran MHK Minister for Health: Hon. David Anderson MHK Minister for Home Affairs: Hon. Juan Watterson MHK Minister for Infrastructure: Hon. David Cretney MHK Minister for Social Care: Hon. Chris Robertshaw MHK Chief Secretary: Will Greenhow Manx Judiciary Attorney General: Stephen Harding First Deemster (English): David Doyle Second Deemster (Manx): Andrew Corlett Deemster: Alastair Montgomerie Judge of Appeal: Geoffrey Tattersall High Bailiff: John Needham Deputy High Bailiff: Jayne Hughes Keys Constituencies Local Government Political parties Elections Officials of State Parish Captains

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Tynwald (also called Tinvaal in Manx Gaelic) is a very old parliament on the Isle of Man. It is sometimes called the High Court of Tynwald or Tynwald Court. Many people say it is the oldest parliament in the world that has been working non-stop for over 1000 years!

What is Tynwald?

Tynwald is the government that makes rules for the Isle of Man. Even though the island is a Crown dependency (which means it has a special link to the British Crown), Tynwald has a lot of power to make its own decisions.

How Tynwald Works: Two Houses

Tynwald is split into two main parts, like two different teams working together. This is called a "bicameral" parliament, meaning it has two chambers or houses:

• The House of Keys: The people of the Isle of Man vote for the members of this house.
• The Legislative Council: People do not vote directly for this house. Instead, some members of the House of Keys (called MHKs) are chosen by other members to join the Legislative Council.

Where and When Tynwald Meets

The two houses of Tynwald meet together on a special day called Tynwald day. This meeting happens at Tynwald Hill in St. John's, a small village near Peel. This is where the parliament first started.

Once a month, both houses also meet together at Parliament House in Douglas, the island's capital city.

Most of the time, the two houses work separately at Parliament House. The House of Keys usually creates new laws. The Legislative Council then checks and makes changes to these laws.

Who is the Lord of Mann?

Queen Elizabeth II is known as the Lord of Mann. This is a special title for the ruler of the Isle of Man.

Tynwald's Ancient Roots

Tynwald's history goes back a very long time. It started with the Viking and Norse people who first came to live on the Isle of Man. They brought their own ways of governing, which helped shape Tynwald into what it is today.