On May 1st 2012 the Council adopted a constitution to modernise and govern the way in which it conducts its business.

Central to the constitution was the replacement of a standing committee system with an executive committee and three policy committees, namely the Housing Committee, the Regeneration and Community Committee and the Environmental Services  Committee. 

There are five councillors on the Executive Committee; the leader of the Council, who serves as its chairman, the chairmen for each of the three policy committees, and a Member who does not serve on the three policy committees.

The full Council elects the leader of the Council, the chairmen for each of the three policy committees, the chairman and members of the Standards Committee, the chairman and members of the Pensions Committee, and the chairman and members of the Allotments Committee.

The Executive Committee then appoints four members to serve on each of the policy committees. 

The constitution requires that the leader and committee members hold office for a maximum of two municipal years, after which a special meeting will be convened at which an election will take place to appoint all posts for the following two-year term of the Council.

At the time of the constitution's adoption Council Leader Councillor David Christian said: ‘The Council is not legally obliged to have a constitution but has elected to adopt one in the interests of good governance. Adopting the constitution marks a huge step forward in the way we conduct Council business.'

Council business is conducted through an executive and three policy committees, each with a portfolio of responsibility. The three policy committees are:

• Housing;

• Regeneration and Community;

• Environmental Services.

Current members are:

Executive Committee:

• Mr Councillor David Christian, MBE, JP (Council Leader)
• Mr Councillor Richard McNicholl (Vice-Chair)
• Mr Councillor Stephen Pitts
• Mr Councillor Ian Clague, MBE
• Councillor Mrs Claire Wells
• The Worshipful The Mayor (ex officio)

Housing Committee:

• Councillor Mrs Claire Wells (Chair)
• Councillor Mrs Carol Crawley (Vice-Chair)
• Mr Councillor John Skinner
• Councillor Mrs Elizabeth Quirk
• The Worshipful The Mayor (ex officio)

Regeneration and Community Committee:

• Mr Councillor Stephen Pitts (Chair)
• Councillor Mrs Helen Callow (Vice-Chair)
• Councillor Mrs Raina Chatel
• Councillor Ms Karen Angela
• The Worshipful The Mayor (ex officio)

Environmental Services Committee:

• Mr Councillor Richard McNicholl (Chair)
• Mr Councillor Falk Horning (Vice-Chair)
• Mr Councillor Andrew Bentley
• Councillor Miss Natalie Byron
• Councillor Ms Janet Thommeny 
• The Worshipful The Mayor (ex officio)

The structure is completed by a Pensions Committee, a Standards Committee and a Allotments Committee. Current members are:

Pensions Committee:

• Councillor Ms Karen Angela (Chair)
• Mr Councillor Falk Horning (Vice-Chair)
• Councillor Mrs Carol Crawley
  
• Mr Councillor John Skinner
• Councillor Ms Janet Thommeny 
• The Worshipful The Mayor (ex officio)
• Mr A. Thomas (Independent Member)

Standards Committee:

• Councillor Mrs Carol Crawley (Chair)
• Councillor Miss Natalie Byron (Vice-Chair)
• Councillor Mrs Raina Chatel
• Mr Councillor John Skinner
• Mr D. Booth (Independent Member)

The Standards Committee annual report can be downloaded at the bottom of this page.

Allotments Committee:

• Mr Councillor Stephen Pitts (Chair)
• Councillor Mrs Helen Callow (Vice-Chair)
• Councillor Mrs Raina Chatel
• Councillor Ms Karen Angela
• The Worshipful The Mayor (ex officio)
• Miss H. Cleverley (Independent Member)

Hard copies of the constitution are available to view at the Douglas Town Hall and the Henry Bloom Noble Library. The document is also available to download from this page.