Deemster Doyle recently spent two days in Malta at the 17th International Judicial Conference with senior judges, including Chief Justices, Presidents and members of Supreme Courts and Constitutional Courts from over 35 countries. Present at the conference were judicial leaders from Europe, Asia, Africa, Central and South America and Oceania. Each participant’s country was highlighted by the flying of the national flag.
On the agenda was the rule of law in diverse cultures. It was recognised that the rule of law was a central pillar of democratic countries which underpinned fair and prosperous societies. The rule of law is an essential ingredient to attract inward investment and economic growth.
The link between the rule of law and economic development is a recurring theme among common law jurisdictions. Geoffrey Ma, the Chief Justice of Hong Kong, at a Rule of Law Symposium on 23 May 2014 in Singapore referred to a judgment of the High Court of Justice in the Isle of Man (Re Oxleys of Douglas Ltd 2003-05 MLR 57 at paragraph 18) where Deemster Doyle stressed that one of the reasons investors chose to invest in the Isle of Man and conduct business there was that the rule of law was respected. Deemster Doyle will be speaking on the subject at a lecture he will be delivering at Oxford University in July.
Deemster Doyle commented:
“I was privileged to be invited to represent the judiciary of the Isle of Man at the conference. It was the first time that the Manx judiciary have been invited to attend the conference and there was a lot of interest in the Isle of Man, especially in relation to the origins of the word ‘Deemster’, the Manx flag and our legal system. It was an excellent opportunity to exchange views and compare judicial experiences with the objective of enhancing our respective legal systems and the delivery of justice. Attendance at these conferences and international judicial cooperation generally will assist the Island in raising its international profile and in becoming part of a smoothly functioning international law regime. Respect for the rule of law will also assist in achieving economic growth.”
Photo - Deemster Doyle with Roger Stevens, the President of the Council of State of Belgium.
