Commissioner for Standards at the Northern Ireland Assembly explained

Post:	Northern Ireland Assembly Commissioner for Standards
Incumbent:	Melissa McCullough
Incumbentsince:	7th September 2020
Type:	Commissioner
Reports To:	Northern Ireland Assembly
Appointer:	Committee on Standards and Privileges (Northern Ireland)
First:	Douglas Bain

The Commissioner for Standards at the Northern Ireland Assembly is an officer of the Northern Ireland Assembly. The work of the officer is overseen by the Committee on Standards and Privileges. The current commissioner is Douglas Bain.

Duties

The commissioner is in charge of regulating MLAs' conduct and propriety.^[1] One of the commissioner's main tasks is overseeing the The Register of Members' Interests, which is intended to ensure disclosure of financial interests that may be of relevance to MSs' work.

The Commissioner for Standards at the Northern Ireland Assembly is appointed by a motion of the Northern Ireland Assembly and is an independent officer of the Assembly.^[2]

History

The post was established in 1995 with Sir Douglas Bain as the first commissioner, then known as the Northern Ireland Commissioner for Complaints, jointly as the Assembly Ombudsman for Northern Ireland, serving the Committee on Standards and Privileges.^[3]

The current commissioner, Melissa McCullough, began her tenure on 7 September 2020.^[4]

External links

• • Register of Members' Interests

Notes and References

1. Web site: Her role is to carry out thorough, fair and transparent investigations into complaints about the behaviour of Ministers and MLAs in relation to their respective codes of conduct and to encourage and promote high ethical standards in public life. . en . Welcome. . Commissioner for Standards at the Northern Ireland Assembly . 2024-06-22 .
2. Web site: Appointment of the Northern Ireland Assembly Commissioner for Standards . . en . 2020-07-21 . 22 June 2024 .
3. Web site: Report of The Northern Ireland Assembly Commissioner For Standards for 2012-2013 . Bain . Douglas . 2013-05-17 . Commissioner for Standards at the Northern Ireland Assembly. 2024-06-22 . My appointment as the first Northern Ireland Assembly Commissioner for Standards took effect from the coming into operation of sections 17 and 25 to 33 of the Assembly Members’ (Independent Financial Review and Standards) Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 (‘the 2011 Act’) on 17 September 2012..
4. Web site: McCullough. Melissa . This is my first report since taking up the role of NI Assembly Commissioner for Standards on 7th September 2020 . Annual Report 2020-21.