Code of conduct for councillors

Annex A: Sanctions For Breaches Of The Code

Where a hearing held by the Standards Commission finds that a councillor has breached the Code, the hearing will impose one of the following sanctions:

(a) censuring the councillor.

(b) suspending, for a period not exceeding one year, the councillor's entitlement to attend one or more but not all of the following:

i) all meetings of the Council;

ii) all meetings of one or more committees or sub-committees of the council;

iii) all meetings of any other body on which that councillor is a representative or nominee of the council.

(c) suspending, for a period not exceeding one year, the councillor's entitlement to attend all meetings of the council, and any committee or sub-committee of the council; and any other body on which the councillor is a representative or nominee of the council.

(d) disqualifying the councillor, for a period not exceeding five years, from being or being nominated for election as, or from being elected as, a councillor.

A period of suspension under (b) or (c) above which would continue until or beyond an ordinary election will come to an end at the beginning of the day on which that election is held.

Disqualification of a councillor has the effect of vacating that councillor's office and extends to the councillor's membership of any committee or sub-committee of the council, any joint committee, joint board or other body on which the councillor is a representative or nominee of the Council.

Where a councillor is also a member of a devolved public body (as defined in the Ethical Standards in Public Life etc. (Scotland) Act 2000), other than as a representative or nominee of the Council, the Commission may also remove or disqualify that person in respect of that membership. Full details of the sanctions are set out in section 19 of the Act.