Giving evidence to a Committee

Giving information and views to a Committee is called ‘giving evidence’, and those who give evidence to a Committee are referred to as ‘witnesses’. This terminology is reminiscent of the language of the Courts because, in law, Committees of Tynwald have similar powers to the Courts of Justice.

Committees seek evidence to inform their understanding of the issue they are investigating. They want to hear from a wide range of stakeholders who have knowledge or experience of the issue at hand. This helps the Committee to make well-informed recommendations for improvements.

The Committee may want to hear from you because:

  • You are responsible for the area of public service or policy under scrutiny;
  • You have expertise or specialist knowledge of the issue because of your work or research;
  • You have first-hand experience of the issue, for example through using a Government service;
  • You have a unique perspective on the topic under consideration.

Government Ministers, Chairs of Boards and senior public servants often appear before those Committees whose remit includes scrutiny of government. Oral evidence is regarded as an important tool in scrutiny, as it means that the Government has to explain its policies and actions in a public forum. This provides transparency and accountability.

Written Evidence

The term ‘written evidence’ refers to any information provided in writing to a Committee. It includes –

  • letters, emails or other papers which have been newly produced for the purposes of sending to the Committee – these are usually referred to as “submissions”;
  • pre-existing documentation which is submitted to a Committee, usually with some kind of covering submission explaining why it is relevant to the Committee’s inquiry;
  • responses to online surveys.

A Committee may request written evidence directly from an organisation or individual. If a Committee has decided to request evidence from you directly, Committee staff will contact you on behalf of the Committee.

A Committee may also decide to make a public call for evidence, via a media release. This gives everyone who is interested the opportunity to contribute to the inquiry. Details of calls for evidence, including what the Committee is looking for and how to make a submission, are available here.

Submissions can be sent either in hard copy or electronically, although electronic submission is generally preferred because it is more convenient.

There is no set format for a submission. However it is helpful for the Committee if you follow these guidelines:

  • Make it clear who the submission is from, and whether it is from yourself in a personal capacity or acting on behalf of an organisation.
  • Make the submission clear and concise, or if it is lengthy include an executive summary.
  • Make sure the information is relevant to the inquiry, and addresses any questions asked by the Committee.
  • Include any factual information from which the Committee might be able to draw conclusions or which it could put to other witnesses for comment.
  • Set out any actions or recommendations you have for how the issue could be addressed by the Government or others.
  • Focus on your personal experience and information where appropriate. If you include personal information about other people, the Committee may decide not to publish your submission or do so with heavy redactions.
  • Please let the Clerk to the Committee know if your submission concerns matters that are currently sub judice (under consideration by a court of law) or if court proceedings are imminent; this may affect whether your submission can be published.
  • Please bear in mind that Committees do not investigate individual cases or allegations of maladministration, and so they cannot provide a remedy for your specific issue. However, your experience may be useful as an example of how a law or policy may not be working as intended.

Your submission will be considered by the Committee, and it will help to inform the Committee’s understanding of the issue at hand. The Committee may then decide to publish your submission, in full or in part, on its webpage or as part of a report.

For more information about the process of giving written evidence to a Committee, click here to download a PDF guide.

Oral Evidence

‘Oral evidence’ refers to the information heard by a Committee during a formal meeting known as an oral hearing.

Most oral hearings take place in public in the Legislative Council Chamber in Douglas. They are livestreamed, the evidence is recorded, and a transcript is published in due course.

Each Committee decides whether to take oral evidence and, if so, who to invite to attend. If you are invited, Committee staff will contact you to discuss the arrangements.

For more information about the process of giving oral evidence to a Committee, click here to download a PDF guide.

Detailed Guide for Witnesses