Advice Note for Councillors on the Application of Article 10 of the ECHR

4th October 2017

The issue of how to apply Article 10 of the ECHR concerning freedom of expression in light of the provisions in the Codes of Conduct has arisen in a number of recent Hearings before the Standards Commission.  The Standards Commission considered, therefore, that it would be helpful to issue advice on how it will deal with such cases and to also suggest issues councillors and members of devolved public bodies may wish to consider to help them comply with the courtesy and respect provisions in their respective Codes.

The Standards Commission sought views and feedback on a draft Advice Note it published on 2 August 2017.  The Standards Commission is grateful for all the constructive and helpful comments and suggestions received during its consultation.  One such suggestion was to create separate Advice Notes for councillors and members of devolved public bodies in order to avoid confusion.  The Advice Note for councillors has now been finalised and can be found here.  The Advice Note for members of devolved public bodies will be produced shortly.

Please do not hesitate to contact the Standards Commission if you have any queries on the content of the Advice Notes.