Ahead of the times
FEW people know the Isle of Man is a cradle of democracy that puts much bigger nations to shame. Its parliament, the High Court of Tynwald, is thought to be the oldest continuous parliamentary assembly in the world.
‘After the Battle of Hastings, in 1079, a Norse mercenary set up a new kingdom, called Mann and the Isles, which lasted till 1268,’ says Edmund Southworth, director at Manx National Heritage. ‘Many of the island’s property arrangements and legal systems were established in this period.’
Most Vikings and Scandinavians, he continues, had meeting places called Tings. ‘When the Derby family was given the Isle of Man in 1405, they accepted that Tynwald had been in operation on the Isle for several centuries and they did not change it. The Althing (parliament) in Iceland was established earlier, but it ceased to operate in 1800 for 44 years. Tynwald, by contrast, has operated continuously in some form for about 1,000 years.’
Traditionally, parliament members used to meet on Tynwald Hill at St John’s and they still gather there once a year on July 5, Tynwald Day, in an open-air meeting. During the ceremony, the two parliamentary chambers (the House of Keys and the Legislative Council) hear petitions and proclaim new laws—no Tynwald act is valid unless it’s promulgated at St John’s within 18 months of its approval.
This story is from the August 19, 2020 edition of Country Life UK.
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This story is from the August 19, 2020 edition of Country Life UK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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