Advice offered to petitioners ahead of Tynwald Day

Last year 22 petitions were handed over to Tynwald

People planning to present petitions on Tynwald Day have been urged to make sure their documents are drafted correctly before handing them over.

The petition for redress of grievance process is an ancient right, which forms part of the open-air sitting of the Manx parliament on 5 July each year.

However, of the 22 documents handed over in 2023, several were not accepted as they were "in order" and so could not be debated in Tynwald.

Clerk of Tynwald Jonathan King said all those considering submitting a petition this year was "strongly encouraged" to seek advice in advance.

Public interest

Mr King said, while he did not decide whether petitions could go forward, getting advice was "the best way to maximise the chance of your petition being found in order" by the standing orders committee.

While in the past a petition needed to address a personal grievance, that was changed last year to allow it to cover any matter of public interest.

However, for an individual or group to be eligible to put forward a petition they must be resident on the Isle of Man.

The document can be handed over in person during the Tynwald Day ceremony, or given to a member of Tynwald beforehand to be passed on by them.

Guidance for those planning to put a petition forward has been made available online.