About Us
The Standards Commission is an independent body whose purpose is to encourage high ethical standards in public life through the promotion and enforcement of Codes of Conduct for councillors and those appointed to the boards of devolved public bodies.
News and Blog
Declarations of Interest
28th August 2026
Identifying Potential Conflicts of Interest and Making Declarations of Interest Councillors and board members of public bodies in Scotland are required, in terms of their Codes of Conduct to identify any potential conflicts of interest they may have, in respect of any particular matter they are to consider in that role. What conflicts of interest are: Conflicts of interest are not about wrongdoing. They arise when a councillor or board member, or any person or...
Judicial Review Decision
21st August 2026
The Standards Commission notes the Court decision, issued today, in respect of the judicial review of its decision not to accept certain documents for consideration at a Hearing on whether Councillor Fiona Higgins of Glasgow City Council has breached the Councillors’ Code of Conduct. The Standards Commission will carefully consider the detail of the Judge’s comments and look to reschedule the Hearing to determine the complaint about Councillor Higgins. The Standards Commiss...
Advice Note for Members for College Sector Boards
20th August 2026
The Standards Commission has reviewed and revised its Advice Note for Members for College Sector Boards. In particular, it has provided more explanation in respect of: The requirement to act in the best interests of the college and what this means. It explains that this does not prevent a member from bringing forward relevant experiences or perspectives from any constituency from which they have been appointed, nominated or elected. Such input is appropriate, provided that decisi...
Online training session on the Codes of Conduct for Members of Health and Social Care Integration Joint Boards
20th August 2026
The Standards Commission is presenting an online training session on the Codes of Conduct for Members of Health and Social Care Integration Joint Boards. The aim is to raise awareness of the Code’s provisions and to answer any questions members or officers may have on how these should be interpreted. The session will be held on Teams on Wednesday, 7 October 2026 from 10:00 to 11:30. If you are interested in attending please ask your Standards Officer for t...
Advice Note and Training for Members of Health and Social Care Integrated Joint Boards
12th August 2026
To support the introduction of voting rights for lived experience members of Health and Social Care Integrated Joint Boards (IJBs), the Standards Commission has updated its Advice Note for Members of IJBs. It has also produced a
Public Body Board Members - Representative or Representing?
27th July 2026
Public Body Board Members - Representative or Representing? Composition of public body boards Boards of public bodies in Scotland are often made up of individuals who are appointed, elected or nominated in different ways. For example, college sector boards include members who are elected or nominated by virtue of them being a member of staff, a student or a member of a trade union. Health and Social Care Integration Joint Boards include representatives from councils, NHS boa...
Advice Note for Members on Distinguishing Between their Strategic Role and any Operational Work
15th July 2026
The Standards Commission has reviewed and updated its Advice Note for Members of Devolved Public Bodies on Distinguishing Between their Strategic Role and any Operational Work. The Advice Note now makes it clear that: What may be strategic and what may be operational can vary between different public bodies, depending on their size and the sector in which they operate. The distinction between what is strategic and operational may also alter if the size or remit of the member&rsqu...
Standards Update - June 2026
30th June 2026
Our latest Standards Update is now available.
The Right to Freedom of Expression
30th June 2026
The Right to Freedom of Expression What is the right to freedom of expression? The right to freedom of expression is outlined in Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), which was incorporated into UK law by the Human Rights Act 1998. Article 10 of the ECHR states: “Everyone has the right to freedom of expression. This right shall include freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart information and ideas without interference by pub...
Video for Council Officers on Councillors’ Code of Conduct
8th June 2026
The Standards Commission has produced a video for council officers on the main provisions of the Councillors’ Code of Conduct. The video aims to promote and enhance their understanding of what is expected, in terms of the Code, so that they can help elected members comply with its provisions. The video can be found on the Stan...
