How to find Isle of Man and Channel Islands law

This guide explains how to find law from the Isle of Man and Channel Islands in our library and online.

Isle of Man

Constitutional position

The Isle of Man is a dependency of the British Crown. It’s not part of the UK and has its own legislature called the Tynwald.

Legislation

Many acts of the UK parliament are extended to the Isle of Man by orders in council. These are issued as UK statutory instruments. Acts passed by the Tynwald must receive royal assent.

You can find primary legislation using:

  • Isle of Man Statutes – statutes from 1417 to 1970 (1825 to 1894, 1916 to 1920 and 1925 to 1941 are missing) (library bay 180)
  • Acts of Tynwald – acts from 1971 to 2016 (library bay 181)
  • Subject guide to Acts of Tynwald – alphabetical and chronological lists of statutes in force when each guide was published (1776 to 1975, 1984, 1992 to 2000, 2003 to 2004)
  • legislation.gov.im (as enacted and amended)
  • Companies Consolidation Act 1931 (library bay 180)
  • the Isle of Man government website – employment law guides, codes of practice and a database of employment legislation (selected statutes as amended)
  • the Isle of Man Companies Registry – company legislation (as amended) and information on incorporation and registration

You can find secondary legislation using:

Law reports and serials

Manx Law Reports and indexes from 1522 to present are in library bay 180.

The Manx Legislation Newsletter (previously the Manx Law Newsletter) is available on the Isle of Man government website. It contains information on:

  • cases
  • bills
  • legislation (primary and secondary)
  • reports

Contacts

Isle of Man Law Society

Call: 01624 679 232

Email: enquiries@iomlawsociety.co.im

Isle of Man government bookshop

The bookshop sells copies of unamended Manx legislation.

Call: 01624 685 520

Email: library@tynwald.org.im

Companies Registry

Call: 01624 685 685

Manx Legislation Newsletter

Channel Islands

Constitutional position

The Channel Islands are dependencies of the British Crown, but they’re separate jurisdictions from the UK. They’re divided into the two Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey. Each has its own legislature: the States.

Alderney and Sark are dependencies of Guernsey but have their own legislatures.

Legislation

Occasionally, acts of the UK parliament are extended to Jersey and Guernsey by express words in the act or, more often, by orders in council issued as UK statutory instruments.

Consent to legislation passed by the states is also given by UK orders in council, not issued as UK statutory instruments.

Jersey and Guernsey legislation (made locally) can be found in the following places.

Jersey

You can find Jersey legislation in Recueil des Lois de Jersey (library bay 181):

  • Volumes I to III (1771 to 1881) – acts still in force up to 19 December 1968
  • Volumes IV to VI (1882 to 1928) – acts still in force up to 31 March 1963
  • Volume VII (1929 to 1950) – acts still in force up to 30 April 1977
  • 1951 onwards – single acts as printed

The full text of Jersey laws in force, in separate original and updated versions, is available on the Jersey Legal Information Board.

You can find application forms, fees, guidance notes and legislation on the Jersey Companies Registry.

Guernsey

Our library does not hold any legislation made in Guernsey. You can find original and updated Guernsey legislation using Guernsey Legal Resources.

Law reports

You can find law reports from Jersey in library bay 182, including:

  • Judgments of the Royal Court of Jersey and of the Court of Appeal of Jersey (1950 to 1984)
  • Jersey Law Reports (1985 to present)

Jersey Law Reports from 1961 to 2016 are also on the Jersey Legal Information Board. Guernsey Law Reports from 2003 to early 2011 are on Guernsey Legal Resources.

Serials

Guernsey Law Journal (1985 to 2000) contains summaries of legislation and cases. It also has selected Guernsey Court of Appeal judgments from 1993 onwards. You’ll need to give us at least 24 hours’ notice to use these.

You can find Jersey Law Review (1997 to 2006) continued as Jersey & Guernsey Law Review (2007 to present) in library bay 182. This serial is also available from 1999 on the Jersey Legal Information Board.

Contacts

The Law Society of Jersey

Call: 01534 613 920

States of Guernsey

Call: 01481 717 000

The Greffe, Royal Court House, Guernsey

Call: 01481 725 277

Guernsey Bar Association

Call: 01481 727 272

Relationship with the EU

The Isle of Man and the Channel Islands are not members of the European Union (EU).

Their relationship with the EU is governed by Articles 25 to 27 and Protocol 3 of the UK's Act of Accession. For more information, see Documents concerning the accessions to the European Communities (1987).

Maximise your Law Society membership with My LS