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Why duty is still relevant
The recent passing of Her Majesty the Queen led many to note that she led a life of public service, dedication and duty. The late Queen continued to perform her official duties until the very end of her life, even accepting the resignation of the former Prime Minister and appointing a new one in her last week. In 1995, the Committee on Standards in Public Life (the Nolan Committee) identified seven principles of conduct underpinning public life; being: · ...
The Ethical Standards Commissioner’s Public Consultation on its draft Investigations Manual
The Ethical Standards Commissioner (ESC) is currently seeking the public's views on its draft Investigations Manual, which consolidates all of the procedures and policies for the different types of complaints that are within its remit. This includes complaints about the conduct of Councillors and Members of devolved bodies. The Standards Commission welcomes the introduction of the manual and the opportunity to provide comments on it.
Freedom of Expression
Freedom of Expression You may have heard the terms ‘freedom of expression’ or ‘freedom of speech’ before, often used in the context of politics and public life. But what does freedom of expression mean, why is it important, and does it have limits? What does freedom of expression mean? The right to freedom of expression is not a new concept – it is understood that a democratic principle of ‘free speech’ m...
Effective Relationships
The success of public bodies, including local authorities, in delivering effective services relies in no small part on them having effective relationships with the Government, their key stakeholders and the public. Of equal importance to public bodies’ effectiveness is the existence of strong relationships between board members and employees or, in the case of local government, between councillors and officers. Mutual respect, communication and, above all trust, between these rol...
Blog: Quasi-Judicial and Regulatory Decision-Making
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...
NB/PIC/4015
The Ethical Standards Framework
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
NB/CC/4135
Polarisation in Politics
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.”...
