Standards Commission for Scotland Legal Library

Legal Library

The Councillors' Code of Conduct

There is a single Code of Conduct for Councillors. This is the Councillors' Code of Conduct and all of the Councillors in Scotland's 32 local authorities have signed up to it.

The Councillors' Code covers areas of individual responsibility such as:

general conduct
registration of interests
declaration of interests
lobbying and access to councillors, and
taking decisions on individual applications

The Standards Commission has issued a Guidance Note to Local Authorities, to help with the interpretation of the Councillors' Code. A Dispensations Note for Local Authorities has also been issued by the Commission.

The Model Code of Conduct for Members of Devolved Public Bodies

Every devolved public body listed in Schedule 3* of the Ethical Standards in Public Life etc. (Scotland) Act 2000 is required to adopt a Code of Conduct based on the Model Code of Conduct for Members of Devolved Public Bodies as approved by the Scottish Parliament.

These individual Codes of Conduct (subsequently approved by the Scottish Ministers) cover areas of individual responsibility such as:

general conduct
registration of interests
declaration of interests, and
lobbying and access to members of public bodies

The Standards Commission has issued a Guidance Note to Devolved Public Bodies, to help with the interpretation of the Codes.

* An up to date list will be available shortly.

The Ethical Standards in Public Life etc. (Scotland) Act 2000

The Standards Commission for Scotland was set up as a result of an Act of the Scottish Parliament. The Ethical Standards in Public Life etc. (Scotland) Act 2000 was one of the first Acts to be passed by the new Scottish Parliament and shows the importance that has been placed on the need to see high standards of conduct being maintained by our Councillors and Members of Devolved Public Bodies.

The Register of Interests Regulations

As a result of the Codes of Conduct, Councillors and Members of Devolved Public Bodies are required to register their financial and non-financial interests in a central Register, to be available to the public for inspection. To assist with this requirement, the Scottish Parliament made an order called The Ethical Standards in Public Life etc. (Scotland) Act 2000 (Register of Interests) Regulations 2003 (Statutory Instrument No. 135 for the year 2003). These regulations set out the headings under which interests must be registered and gives guidelines for how the Register could be displayed.