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
New Standards Commission Member
13th March 2023
We are delighted to welcome a new Standards Commission Member, Anne-Marie O'Hara, who started in post today. Anne-Marie has worked in various property, charity and grant-giving roles. She was Head of the Capital Team at The BIG Lottery Fund and led the Property Planning, Projects and European Funding Team at the National Trust for Scotland. Anne-Marie retired recently from her post as CEO of an Edinburgh-based charity and social enterprise providing affordable space for the third secto...
Standards Commission’s Response to Scottish Government’ Electoral Reform Consultation
28th February 2023
Standards Commission’s Response to Scottish Government’ Electoral Reform Consultation The Scottish Government is currently consulting on potential reforms to electoral law. The consultation sets out proposals on how to increase voter registration and how to improve accessibility in elections. The consultation closes on 15 March 2023. Details of the consultation and how to respond can be found
Polarisation in Politics
15th February 2023
The resignation of Nicola Sturgeon as First Minister of Scotland has dominated today’s news cycle. In her resignation speech, she spoke about the ‘intensity’ and ‘brutality’ of being a politician, and about polarisation in politics, calling on all political parties to take an opportunity to: “de-polarise public debate just a bit; to focus more on issues than on personalities; and to reset the tone and tenor of our discourse.”...
The Ethical Standards Framework
9th February 2023
Did you know that Scotland has an ethical standards framework? What is the ethical standards framework? Has one always been in place? The framework was introduced by the Ethical Standards in Public Life etc. (Scotland) Act 2000 (the 2000 Act), which was one of the first pieces of legislation enacted by the Scottish Parliament. The 2000 Act provided for the introduction of a
The Auditor General’s Report on the Ethical Standards Commissioner: Statement from the Standards Commission for Scotland
31st January 2023
The Standards Commission's statement on the Auditor General’s Report on the Ethical Standards Commissioner can be found here.
Social Impact Pledge
30th January 2023
The Standards Commission has signed up to a Social Impact Pledge, which is aimed at increasing the social impact of public sector organisations in Scotland. The pledge is a Scottish Government initiative that asks public sector organisations to commit to increasing their social impact by making a public commitment to change their current operations or policies. The pledge should include actions that the organisation was not already undertaking. The Standards Commission has pledg...
The Committee on Standards in Public Life's Report "Leading in Practice"
27th January 2023
LEADING IN PRACTICE The Committee on Standards in Public Life (CSPL) has this week published its latest report, entitled ‘Leading in Practice’. The report contains insights from leaders in the public, private and charitable sectors and also includes scenarios based on real examples. It can be downloaded from the CSPL’s website. The report focuses...
Appointment of new Ethical Standards Commissioner
27th January 2023
The Standards Commission is pleased to note that the Scottish Parliament had approved the appointment of Ian Bruce, the Acting Commissioner, as the new Ethical Standards Commissioner. We wish Ian every success in the role and look forward to continuing to work with him and his team.
Blog: Quasi-Judicial and Regulatory Decision-Making
13th January 2023
Why the Councillors’ Code has a Separate Section on Quasi-Judicial and Regulatory Decision-Making Section 7 of the Councillors’ Code of Conduct outlines what councillors should do when making decisions on quasi-judicial or regulatory matters. These types of decisions typically involve planning or licensing applications, such as ones concerning planning, alcohol licensing, applications for betting and gaming premises, and taxi licences. Why is...
Festive Office Hours
21st December 2022
The Standards Commission will close for the festive break at 1200 on Friday 23 December 2022, reopening at 0900 on Wednesday 4 January 2023. Season's greetings and all the best for the new year.
