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Cases

This section contains details about Hearings to be held by the Standards Commission and the procedures to be followed. It also contains information about decisions the Standards Commission has made and any interim suspensions in place. The section also contains information for individuals who are the subject of a Hearing (Respondents).

Forthcoming Hearings and Hearing Decisions

Information about forthcoming Hearings, and the Standards Commission's Hearing decisions, can be found in the table below. 

Hearings start at 9:30 unless otherwise stated.

In order to be as accessible as possible, the Standards Commission will usually hold the Hearing at a venue in the area of the headquarters of the Local Authority (where the Respondent is a councillor); or at the venue where the devolved public body holds its meetings (if the Respondent is a member of a devolved public body).

Unless indicated otherwise in the table below, if any Hearing is to be held online it will be livestreamed. When a livestream is in progress, a link will be found here.

Please note:

  • the link to the livestream will not be published until 9:15 on the day of the Hearing;
  • if a message is displayed stating that the Hearing is in adjournment, you may need to refresh your page in order to view the Hearing when it recommences; and
  • no recording should be made, or photographs/screenshots taken, during the Hearing.

Press Releases are available to download within five days of the conclusion of the Hearing. If you would like a copy of this to be emailed to you at the conclusion of the Hearing, please let us know.

Full Written Decisions are available to download within 14 days of the conclusion of the Hearing. 

If there is no entry in the Hearing Date / Time column, the date for the Hearing is still to be arranged. 

Information about cases where the Standards Commission has decided to direct the Ethical Standards Commissioner to carry out further investigation, or where the decision has been made to take no action, can be found under 'Cases - No Action Decisions and Further Investigations'.

Information about Hearings will be kept for five years from the date of the Standards Commission’s full written decision. After this, details about the case will be removed from the website and will no longer be available, in line with the Standards Commission’s Document Retention Schedule.

Media Information

Information on the Standards Commission and its Hearings can be found in our media information sheet, which is accessible from the homepage. All media enquiries should be directed to: enquiries@standardscommission.org.uk.

Standards Commissions Scotland
Case Ref. Decision on Referral Respondent(s) Organisation Hearing Date/Time Venue Paragraph or section of the Code / Decision on Breach Decision on Sanction Press Release Written Decision
LA/NL/3979 Hearing Cllr David Crichton North Lanarkshire Council 23/10/24 Lesser Hall, Sir John Wilson Town Hall, Stirling Street, Airdrie, ML6 0AS
LA/H/3969 Hearing adjourned pending further investigation by ESC Cllr Michael Baird Highland Council TBC
LA/EA/3904 Hearing Cllr Neill Watts East Ayrshire Council 11/09/24 Online Hearing Breach of paragraph 3.29 Censure Download PDF Download PDF
LA/Fa/3929 Hearing Cllr Brian McCabe Falkirk Council 04/09/24 Online Hearing Breach of paragraphs 3.21 and 3.23 Suspension Download PDF Download PDF
LA/G/3919 Hearing Councillor Elaine Gallagher Glasgow City Council 29/07/24 City Chambers, George Square, Glasgow, G2 1DU No breach of paragraphs 3.1, 3.2 and 3.3 Not applicable Download PDF Download PDF
LA/S/3867 Hearing Cllr Gerry McGarvey Stirling Council 07/08/24 Council Chambers, Old Viewforth, Stirling, FK8 2ET Breach of paragraph 3.1 Suspension Download PDF Download PDF
LA/As/3958 Hearing Cllr Alastair Forsyth Aberdeenshire Council 04/06/24 Online Hearing Breach of paragraphs 3.21, 3.23, 3.24 and 3.25 Suspension Download PDF Download PDF
LA/SB/3722 Hearing Cllr Mark Rowley Scottish Borders Council 13/05/24 Online Hearing Breach of paragraphs 5.5 and 5.6 Suspension Download PDF Download PDF
NPA/C/3831 Hearing Deidre Falconer Cairngorms National Park Authority 27/05/24 Online Hearing Breach of declarations of interest provisions in 2014 version of Code Censure Download PDF Download PDF
LA/H/3838 Hearing Cllr Andrew Jarvie Highland Council 02/04/24 Online Hearing No breach of paragraphs 3.1, 3.8 and 3.10 Not applicable Download PDF Download PDF
LA/I/3764 Hearing Cllr Innes Nelson Inverclyde Council 10/04/24 Municipal Buildings, 24 Clyde Square, Greenock, PA15 1LY Breach of paragraphs 5.5 and 7.4(b) Suspension Download PDF Download PDF
LA/WL/3698 Hearing Cllr William Boyle West Lothian Council 16/02/24 West Lothian Civic Centre, Howden South Road, Livingston, EH54 6FF No breach of paragraphs 3.2, 3.6 and 3.7 Not applicable Download PDF Download PDF
LA/H/3759 Hearing Cllr Maxine Smith Highland Council 06/02/24 Online Hearing Breach of paragraphs 3.1, 3.2 and 4.20 Suspension Download PDF Download PDF
LA/NA/3707 Hearing Cllr Tom Marshall North Ayrshire Council 26/01/24 Council Chambers, Cunninghame House, Friarscroft, Irvine, KA12 8EE No breach of paragraphs 5.1, 5.2, 5.5, 5.6, 7.1, 7.4 and 7.5 Not applicable Download PDF Download PDF
LA/AC/3812 Hearing Cllr M. Tauqeer Malik Aberdeen City Council 17/01/24 Online Hearing Decision quashed following appeal to Sheriff Principal Not applicable Download PDF Download PDF