House of Keys

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Isle of Man Coat of Arms

The House of Keys (German: "House of Keys", Manx Yn Chiare as Feed , "The Twenty-Four") is the directly elected lower house of the Tynwald , the parliament of the Isle of Man . The House of Lords is the Legislative Council .

The first known documentary mention of the name comes from the year 1417. An English scholar writes in Latin of the Claves Mann and Claves Legis ("The keys of man" and "The keys to (the) laws"). However, the origin of the name is controversial. The word keys is seen by some as an English corruption of the Old Norse word kjósa , “chosen”. A more likely explanation is that it is the misunderstood Manx Gaelic term for twenty-four, kiare as feed , as Parliament always had 24 members.

MEPs are called Members of the House of Keys (MHKs). The right to vote begins at the age of sixteen, while the passive is restricted to people who are over twenty-one years old and who have lived on Man for at least three years. There have been twelve constituencies since 2016 , each with two MPs. The legislative period of the House of Keys usually takes five years. However, there are regulations according to which early termination is possible.

The Speaker of the House of Keys (SHK) is an MIC who is elected Chairman of Parliament. He can vote like the other members, but in contrast to the other members he can also abstain from voting. In the event of a stalemate in a vote, however, the speaker cannot abstain and must vote. Participation in the meetings is required by law for MICs, and if a MP cannot appear, he or she must ask for leave of absence.

The House of Keys elects most of the members of the Legislative Council . The legislative initiative usually rests with the House of Keys as well. It is therefore the more powerful of the two chambers, while the Council is mainly controlling.

The House of Keys meets about once a month with the Legislative Council for a joint session called Tynwald Court . The President of Tynwald, elected by both Houses, chairs Tynwald Court and the Legislative Council. Once a year, however, on the national holiday of Tynwald Day , the Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Man presides.

Web links

(all pages in English)