The Standards Committee and the Monitoring Officer oversee the Councillor Code of Conduct at Oxford City Council. They ensure that the conduct of councillors meets the required standards.
For details on how complaints against councillors are handled, refer to our Procedure for dealing with code of conduct complaints against councillors.
Independent Persons
Under the Localism Act 2011, the role of Independent Person was established to help promote and maintain high standards of conduct among councillors. These individuals assist the Monitoring Officer with complaints regarding councillors’ conduct and potential breaches of the Code of Conduct.
The Local Authorities (Standing Orders) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2015 also require Independent Persons to advise the Disciplinary Committee in cases of potential dismissal of statutory officers of the Council.
Oxford City Council and the four parish councils in Oxford (Blackbird Leys, Littlemore, Old Marston, and Risinghurst & Sandhills) are assisted by up to four Independent Persons. These volunteers serve a five-year term, are not related to or close friends with current/former council members or officers, and do not engage in political activity. They are unpaid and do not receive expenses.
The current Independent Persons are:
- Chris Ballinger
- Jill McCleery
- Andrew Mills-Hicks
- Osama Raja
