Standards watchdog to examine existing Codes of Ethical Conduct ahead of drawing up guidance

The standards watchdog last week (24 July) published its official Terms of Reference for a new project in response to the Prime Minister’s letter, which calls for the EIC to “act as a Centre of Excellence on public sector codes of conduct, providing guidance and best practice to help all public bodies put ethics and integrity at the heart of public service delivery.”

According to the EIC, the aim of the initiative is to help public authorities meet their upcoming legal requirements, and will build on the foundation of Lord Nolan’s Seven Principles of Public Life.

The EIC will deliver the project in two phases to ensure the final guidance is both “robust and practical”:

• Phase One: Evidence Gathering & Drafting - The EIC is launching an open call for evidence, seeking written submissions to identify knowledge gaps, uncover what works, and capture lessons learned from existing codes. The evidence will shape a provisional draft of the guidance. The Commission will also invite key stakeholders to give formal oral evidence.
• Phase Two: Public Consultation & Testing - Once drafted, the provisional guidance will be subjected to a public consultation to test its real-world practicality and effectiveness. Public feedback will directly refine the final guidance issued to authorities, and the EIC will thereafter deliver its final report containing this guidance.

The Public Office (Accountability) Bill stems from lessons learned from historic institutional failings, most notably the 1989 Hillsborough disaster, aiming to legally enforce transparency and accountability in public office.

The Bill passed the Commons stage on 14 July 2026 and was moved to the Lords where it passed its first reading on 16 July 2026.

EIC Chair Doug Chalmers said: "Our objective is to ensure that public authorities are equipped not just to draft a piece of paper, but to foster environments where ethical decision-making is an instinctive, first thought. To make this guidance genuinely transformative and practical, we want to listen to sectoral practitioners, government experts, and the public themselves.”

Lottie Winson