Legislative Council (Isle of Man)
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The Legislative Council of the Isle of Man is the upper Branch of Tynwald, the Manx legislature.
Known in the Manx language as Yn Choonceil Slattyssagh, it consists of eleven indirectly elected members, known as Members of the Legislative Council or MLCs. The House of Keys votes by secret ballot to elect the MLCs, who must be twenty-one years old and a resident for three years, to four year terms; four members are chosen at a time so that the Council has a rotating membership.
Formerly, the Lieutenant Governor presided over the Legislative Council and over Tynwald Court (a joint session of the Council and the House of Keys). Now, however, the President of Tynwald, who is chosen by the whole Tynwald for a six-year term, is the ex officio President of the Legislative Council, and presides over both the Legislative Council and Tynwald Court, except that the Lieutenant Governor presides once a year on Tynwald Day. Furthermore, the Church of England Bishop of Sodor and Man and the Attorney General appointed by the Monarch of the United Kingdom have seats on the Legislative Council. The President has a casting vote, the Bishop may vote like other members, while the Attorney General may not vote at all.
The Council does not normally originate legislation (the last Act, the Bill for which was introduced in the Council, was the Sharing of Church Buildings Act 1986). Instead, it reviews legislation from the House of Keys. The Council, being elected by the MHKs themselves, does not have significant authority in Tynwald.