Situated between Britain and Ireland and a popular holiday destination with Irish people, the Isle of Man is not part of the UK and is not a member of the EU, with which it has only a trading relationship. It is a dependency of the British crown and Queen Elizabeth has among her many titles that of Lord of Mann.
It boasts the oldest parliament in the world, the Tynwald, which has Norse origins. Its residents do not vote in UK elections and have no representatives in the House of Commons. They do not pay taxes in the UK.
Like the UK, the Isle of Man has no written constitution and the Human Rights Act, incorporating the European Convention on Human Rights, is not yet part of Manx law, though it comes into force later this year.
The legal system is based on the common law tradition, but there are distinct differences between English and Manx law. English case law is not regarded as precedent in Manx courts, though it does have persuasive value, as indeed does Irish case law.
One notable difference between Manx law and the law in both Britain and Ireland concerns the right to bail. There is no such automatic right in the Isle of Man and bail on a murder charge was unprecedented there until Mr Moore got bail, though on very restrictive conditions.
There is no distinction between barristers and solicitors and all Manx lawyers are known as advocates. Only Manx advocates have the right of audience in Manx courts, though English barristers can be licensed to appear in certain cases.
Its High Court consists of two Deemsters, who have jurisdiction over all serious civil and criminal matters. The Manx Appeal Court consists of the two Deemsters and the Judge of Appeal, a part-time position filled by an English queen's counsel.
It also has a system of lay magistrates who hear cases at summary level. There are two professional magistrates, the High Bailiff and Deputy High Bailiff, who act as coroners at inquests and preside over the licensing court.
The criminal justice system in the Isle of Man has been the subject of international criticism. Flogging was a punishment until recently. It has one prison for all prisoners - male, female and children - and has been criticised by the Celtic League for conditions there, especially following the suicide of two prisoners and the detention of a 12-year-old girl there in the mid-1990s.
Although not part of the UK, the British government represents it in overseas matters and is responsible for its defence. This means, however, that there is no direct relationship between its authorities and those of other national governments, like the Irish Government, which deals with the British Commonwealth Office in its relations with the island. Therefore, direct representations on behalf of Irish citizens are difficult.
Consular facilities are available from the Irish embassy in London, but, for a person who gets into trouble on the island, that is very far way. Mr Moore was lucky in that he had a devoted family who could mobilise all its collective resources to help him. Without them, Ireland would have seemed a world, rather than 40 minutes, away.