Code of Conduct for Members of Parliament

Code of Conduct for Members of Parliament
Name	Code of Conduct for Members of Parliament
Jurisdiction	Parliamentary systems
Adopted	varies by legislature
Related	Parliamentary privilege; ethics committee

Code of Conduct for Members of Parliament

A Code of Conduct for Members of Parliament sets binding standards for elected representatives' behaviour, integrity, and accountability. It delineates duties concerning conflicts of interest, financial disclosures, gifts and outside employment, and mechanisms for investigation and sanction. Prominent parliaments and legislatures such as the Parliament of the United Kingdom, the United States Congress, the European Parliament, the Lok Sabha, and the Australian House of Representatives have tailored codes that intersect with institutions like the House of Commons (UK), the House of Representatives (Australia), and the Rajya Sabha.

Purpose and Scope

Codes of conduct aim to preserve public trust in institutions such as the House of Commons (UK), the Senate (United States), the Bundestag, the Dáil Éireann, and the Knesset by setting expectations comparable to those found in documents from the United Nations, the Council of Europe, and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. They typically cover behavior within venues like the Palace of Westminster, the Capitol Hill, the Parliament House (Canberra), and the Lok Sabha Chamber and apply to activities beyond parliamentary premises including interactions with entities such as the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and multinational corporations like BP, Shell, and Goldman Sachs where conflicts may arise. Scope frequently addresses interactions with political parties including the Conservative Party (UK), the Labour Party (UK), the Democratic Party (United States), and the Bharatiya Janata Party, and with civil society stakeholders like Amnesty International, Transparency International, and Greenpeace.

Principles and Standards of Behaviour

Core principles echo those in codes from the House of Commons (UK), the Canadian House of Commons, and the European Parliament: integrity, accountability, transparency, impartiality, and stewardship. Standards often reference precedents set by inquiries involving figures such as Tony Blair, John Major, Nancy Pelosi, Boris Johnson, and Theresa May and by landmark events including the Expenses scandal (United Kingdom), the Watergate scandal, and the Cash for Questions affair. Expected conduct covers interactions with ministries like the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Treasury (United Kingdom), the Department of Justice (United States), and the Ministry of Home Affairs (India), and with officials such as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, the President of the United States, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Registration and Declaration of Interests

Most codes require formal registers akin to the Register of Members' Financial Interests (UK), the Senate Ethics Committee report filings, and disclosure systems used by the European Commission. Members must declare remunerated positions with companies such as Microsoft, Google, Amazon, or consultancies like McKinsey & Company, holdings in banks like HSBC, and directorships in firms related to sectors overseen by committees such as the Select Committee on Finance, the Appropriations Committee, and the Public Accounts Committee. Registrations often follow models influenced by reforms after controversies like those involving Lords Hansard and inquiries such as the Leveson Inquiry.

Gifts, Hospitality and Outside Employment

Guidance sets thresholds for permissible gifts and hospitality from entities including multinational firms like ExxonMobil and cultural institutions like the British Museum or the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and regulates paid work with media organizations like the BBC or The New York Times. Many systems mirror restrictions implemented after incidents involving celebrities or politicians such as Silvio Berlusconi, Jean-Marie Le Pen, and François Fillon, limiting paid consultancies, speaking fees, and travel funded by interest groups, non-governmental organizations like Oxfam or trade associations such as the Confederation of British Industry.

Enforcement, Complaints and Sanctions

Enforcement mechanisms draw on models from the Committee on Standards (House of Commons), the Office of Congressional Ethics, and the European Ombudsman, enabling complaints from peers, journalists from outlets like The Guardian, The Times, and The Washington Post, or watchdogs such as OpenSecrets and Transparency International. Sanctions range from reprimands and suspensions to removal from committees and referrals to law enforcement bodies like the Metropolitan Police Service or the Federal Bureau of Investigation; extreme cases have parallels with prosecutions under statutes like the Bribery Act 2010 and the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

Oversight Bodies and Investigation Procedures

Oversight entities include ethics commissions, standards committees, and ombudsmen modeled on the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards (UK), the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, and the Inspector General (United States). Procedures involve preliminary assessment, fact-finding, hearings with legal representation informed by rules from tribunals such as the International Criminal Court procedures and professional standards exemplified by the Bar Council (England and Wales), culminating in reports published to bodies like the House of Commons Administration Committee or the Senate Ethics Committee.

Training, Guidance and Transparency Measures

Preventive measures emphasize induction and continuing education delivered with reference materials from institutions like the Oxford University, the Harvard Kennedy School, and the Institute for Government, and by partnerships with NGOs such as Transparency International and academic centers including the London School of Economics and the Brookings Institution. Transparency measures include publicly accessible registers, searchable databases modeled on innovations by the Open Government Partnership, public briefings in venues such as the National Press Club (United States), and digital disclosures consistent with standards from the European Data Protection Board and the Information Commissioner's Office (UK).

Category:Parliamentary ethics