Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Head of Law & Governance and Monitoring Officer  seeking approval to a Pre-Hearing and Hearing Procedure in respect of the determination of allegations of breach of the Code of Conduct for Members, and consequential amendment to the County Council’s Arrangements for the Assessment, Investigation and Determination of Complaints that a Member or Co-opted Member of the County Council has failed to comply with the Hampshire County Council Code of Conduct for Members.

The Panel considered the report (Item 8 in the Minute Book) setting out a Pre-Hearing and Hearing Procedure in regard to the determination of allegations of breach of the Code of Conduct for Members and consequential amendment to the County Council’s arrangements for the assessment, investigation and determination of such complaints.  The report was presented by the Head of Law & Governance and Monitoring Officer.

During the course of discussion, some amendments were proposed to paragraphs 2, 4 and 6 of the Pre-Hearing Procedure regarding the agreement of the Monitoring Officer to a request to call witnesses, and to paragraph 18 of the Hearing Procedure regarding the determination of the findings of fact in the interests of clarity and fairness to all parties concerned.  The Monitoring Officer had no objections to the amendments proposed but did remind the Panel that the Procedure deals how a local authority hearing is conducted, which is not a legal process.

RESOLVED:

That the Conduct Advisory Panel approve:

a)      the revised Arrangements as contained at Appendix 1 of the supporting report;

b)      the Pre-Hearing and Hearing Procedure, as amended by the Panel, appended to these Minutes.