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Legislation passed by the Scottish Parliament entitled The Ethical Standards in Public Life Etc (Scotland) Act 2000 has now been brought fully into effect by the Scottish Executive and, with effect from 1 May 2003, councillors elected to local authorities in Scotland are required to comply with a statutory Code of Conduct for Councillors in carrying out their public duties.
The legislation has a number of requirements but one of the principal features is that the Code of Conduct for Councillors is enforceable through a new agency called The Standards Commission for Scotland. The Standards Commission has responsibility for giving guidance to local authorities about the Code and for hearing complaints referred to them by their Chief Investigating Officer that a councillor may have breached the Code. If it finds that a councillor has breached the Code the Commission may impose a sanction ranging from a formal censure of the councillor concerned to disqualification from office for up to five years.
Many differences between a councillor and an aggrieved individual can be settled at a local level without recourse to the formal mechanisms set out in the legislation. However if you would like to make a complaint against a Councillor or Member of a Devolved Public Body, ask advice about making a complaint, find out general information about the investigations process or have any other enquiry regarding complaints, please contact:
Mr D Stuart Allan
Chief Investigating Officer
Office of Investigations
The Standards Commission for Scotland
Forsyth House
Innova Campus
Rosyth Europarc
Rosyth KY11 2UU
Tel: 01383 428033
Fax: 01393 428019
E-mail: investigations@standardscommission.org.uk
If you would like to know more details about the work of the Commission generally or have any other enquiry which is not about a complaint against a Councillor or Member of a Devolved Public Body, contact:
Ms Janet Nixon
Secretary to the Commission
Office of Administration and Hearings
The Standards Commission for Scotland
Forsyth House
Innova Campus
Rosyth Europarc
Rosyth KY11 2UU
Tel: 01383 428061
Fax: 01383 428020
E-mail: enquiries@standardscommission.org.uk
A copy of the Ethical Standards in Public Life etc (Scotland) Act 2000 is available from the Stationery Office (ISBN 0- 10-591008-2) and on the Stationery Office website at:
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/legislation/scotland/acts2000/asp_20000007_en.pdf
To view further information on the Standards Commission for Scotland click on hyperlink
http://www.standardscommissionscotland.org.uk/about_us.html
To view the Councillors' Code of Conduct Click on hyperlink
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/localgov/cocc-00.asp
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