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Case ref:201406475
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Date:February 2016
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Body:Commissioner for Ethical Standards in Public Life in Scotland
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Sector:Scottish Government and Devolved Administration
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Outcome:Not upheld, no recommendations
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Subject:complaints handling
Summary
Mr C had complained to a local authority about their services. When they did not investigate his complaint he asked a councillor to review the matter. The councillor felt that this would go beyond his remit and declined to become involved. Mr C complained about the councillor to the Commissioner for Ethical Standards in Public Life in Scotland (the commissioner). Mr C alleged that the councillor's code of conduct had been breached. The commissioner investigated Mr C's complaint and concluded that there had been no breach. Mr C subsequently complained to us that the commissioner had investigated a different complaint to the one he had raised, had accepted evidence that was not relevant to his complaint and had taken an unreasonably narrow interpretation of the code of conduct.
We found that, whilst the commissioner's summary of Mr C's complaint was different to the point he had raised, his concerns were addressed fully in the commissioner's decision. We were satisfied that the commissioner reached his decision having followed guidance as to how the code of conduct should be interpreted and that he had carried out the investigation reasonably.