Committee on Standards and Privileges Publishes Report on a Complaint Against Mr Tom Buchanan MLA

The Committee on Standards and Privileges has today published its report on a complaint against Mr Tom Buchanan MLA that he had breached the Assembly Members’ Code of Conduct (the Code).

The complaint was investigated by the independent Assembly Commissioner for Standards, Dr Melissa McCullough, who concluded that Mr Buchanan had breached Rule 17 and Rule 12 of the Code by failing to observe the rules around maintaining confidentiality in respectof live complaints under investigation by the Commissioner.

The Chairperson of the Committee on Standards and Privileges, Carál Ní Chuilín MLA said: “The Committee takes allegations of breaches of the Assembly’s Code of Conduct very seriously. Therefore, it was right that an independent investigation was carried out in order to establish the facts in relation to the allegations made.

“While the Member was found to have breached the Code, he has acknowledged the importance of confidentiality when a case is being investigated and has assured the Committee that such an error will not occur again. I am therefore pleased that, following receipt of a written apology from the Member, the Committee has reported to the Assembly that the matter has now been resolved”.

• Read the full report.

ENDS

For media enquiries please contact:

Sinead Murphy
Communications Officer
Northern Ireland Assembly
Mobile: 0789 9864 368
Email: Sinead.murphy@niassembly.gov.uk  

Notes to Editor:

View further information on the work of the Committee, including Membership.