3rd June 2012
Apt. 5, 2 Marina House Peel City
To whom it does concern – G. Stephen Holmes versus The Queen This is part of the High Court Act 1991 (an Act of Tynwald). 58 Interpretation (1) In this Act'Chief Registrar' includes the Assistant Chief Registrar and a Deputy Assistant Chief Registrar; 'the Civil Division' means the Civil Division of the High Court. Administration 28 Office and officers of the High Court (1) The General Registry shall be the office of records for the High Court. (2) The Chief Registrar, Deemsters' clerks and such other clerks in the General Registry as the First Deemster may nominate in writing shall be officers of the High Court. (3) Officers of the High Court shall discharge their duties under the direction and supervision of the First Deemster or, in the case of a Deemster's clerk, the Deemster to whom he may be attached.
On 30th May 2012, I received a letter from SR/CR at the Isle of Man Courts of “justice” – the letter is on the following page. In this letter, SR clearly states – The General Registry undertake the courts administration and it can be seen that the case that was withdrawn (on the page after) on 7th October 2011 was STEPHEN HOLMES versus THE GENERAL REGISTRY. The General Registry is the OFFICE OF RECORDS of the High Court – the administration of Court matters is under the direction and supervision of the First Deemster in the Courts Administration Offices. Indeed, there is a government document called “Structure of Government” in which the following two “boxes” can be found on the left hand-side, with no “lines of responsibility” to anybody other than “Deemster One.” First Deemster and Clerk of the Rolls || Courts Administration Office As can clearly be seen from what SR wrote, the document handed to the Chief Registrar and copied to the First Deemster was a claim for negligence by the Courts Administration Office – and therefore against the First Deemster and Clerk of the Rolls, NOT against the General Registry. “To the Isle of Man High Court, Courts Administration Office A Claim by Petition for damages as a result of negligence. Between G. Stephen Holmes (Petitioner) and [the] Courts Administration Office (negligent party and Defendant)” The negligence is res ipsa loquitor – the thing speaks for itself. I was only supplied with a file on 14th December 2011 that has enabled me to bring this claim against the First Deemster; on that date, in a Court-room in Douglas, advocate Paul Morris (on behalf of the Courts Office) handed me a document grandly headed COPY OF FILE FD/UK/COR/04/02 [Family Division / United Kingdom / Custody Order Registration / April 2 nd] HOLMES There are twelve documents in this file headed ISLE OF MAN HIGH COURT, and signed, not by a judge, but by an Assistant Chief Registrar. Under sections 58 and 28 above, the Assistant Chief Registrar, as an officer of the High Court, discharges duties under the direction and supervision of the First Deemster. Although an officer of the Court signed these administrative documents, responsibility for their production was with the First Deemster.