Complaints of sexual misconduct

Information Standards Freedom of Information Response

Our Ref: FoI 24-20

28 May 2020

Freedom of Information Act 2000

I can confirm that the Northern Ireland Assembly Commission holds information relevant to your request of 28 April 2020.  In your request you asked for the following information:

“I request the following under the Freedom of Information Act 2000:

A full count and disclosure of any complaints of sexual misconduct towards any woman or transgender woman by the organisation or any of its male or trans male members between 1/1/2010-1/1/2020 that may have been raised by any person whatsoever.”

There have been two complaints against Northern Ireland Assembly Commission Secretariat staff during the period 1/1/2010 and 1/1/2020. Each complaint was raised by a female staff member against a male staff member and was investigated. In both instances, the complaints were upheld.

Complaints against Assembly Members for failure to comply with the Code of Conduct and the Guide to the Rules relating to the Conduct of Members are considered by the independent Assembly Commissioner for Standards (the Commissioner). 

The Commissioner assesses complaints against admissibility criteria specified in the General Procedures Direction. The Commissioner’s annual reports give information on the most common reasons for inadmissibility. If the Commissioner considers that the complaint is admissible, he/she carries out an investigation and submits a report to the Committee on Standards and Privileges.  The Commissioner’s report is considered by the Committee which, in turn, publishes a Committee Report on the complaint (which includes a copy of the investigation report by the Commissioner).

This information is published on the Northern Ireland Assembly Commission website and can be accessed via the following links:

Reports by the Standards and Privileges Committee on individual cases 2007-11

Reports by the Standards and Privileges Committee on individual cases 2011-16

Reports by the Standards and Privileges Committee on individual cases 2016-17

Reports by the Standards and Privileges Committee on individual cases 2017-22  (None)

If you feel that the information we have provided does not meet your request fully, please contact this office as soon as possible.  You have the right to request a formal review by the Northern Ireland Assembly Commission and if you wish to do so, please write to me at the above address.

If after such an internal review you are still unhappy with the response, you have the right to appeal to the Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow,  Cheshire SK9 5AF who will undertake an independent review.

If you have any queries about this letter, please contact me.  Please remember to quote the reference number above.

Yours sincerely

INFORMATION STANDARDS