Updated ‘Standards for Codes of Conduct for MPs and the Parliamentary Workplace’ launched by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association

Parliamentarians are entrusted with significant power and responsibility in a democratic society and as such must demonstrate the highest ethical standards. As stipulated in the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association’s Recommended Benchmarks for Democratic Legislatures, Parliaments should promote values around ethical governance.

Codes of conduct for Members of Parliament help to maintain public trust and establish ethical standards, help to prevent corruption and the abuse of power, and seek to prevent harassment and bullying within the workplace. Guidelines also provide a framework for public officers to uphold the highest standards of good governance.

As a result of extensive research and consultation with Parliaments across the world, the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association has published the ‘Standards for Codes of Conduct for Members of Parliament and the Parliamentary Workplace’ for use by Parliaments and Legislatures.

Speaking about the updated standards, the CPA Secretary-General, Stephen Twigg said:

“I strongly encourage all Parliamentarians and parliamentary officials to study the CPA’s updated ‘Standards for Codes of Conduct for Members of Parliament and the Parliamentary Workplace’. The CPA recognises that no single Parliament is a source of ‘best practice’ in all areas and that all Parliaments are sources of valuable innovations regardless of their size or age and that in fact there are many forms of ‘good practice’; which is why the updated Standards for Codes of Conduct are so valuable as they are drawn from good practice across the Commonwealth.

The CPA’s commitment in championing the highest principles of parliamentary democracy mean that we will continue to work with Commonwealth Parliaments to help them adopt new or updated Codes of Conduct where requested.”

The updated ‘Standards for Codes of Conduct for Members of Parliament and the Parliamentary Workplace’ have evolved from the CPA’s previous ‘Recommended Benchmarks for Codes of Conduct Applying to Members of Parliament’, first published in 2016 and utilised by many Parliaments in establishing their own Codes of Conduct. With the need for continuous improvement and tackling the additional challenges of harassment, bullying and abuse in the workplace as well as the challenges of new technology and online harms, the CPA Secretariat worked with Deakin University to develop an updated set of Standards for Codes of Conduct.

The CPA ‘Standards for Codes of Conduct for Members of Parliament and the Parliamentary Workplace’ are available to download on the CPA website or by emailing hq.sec@cpahq.org. 

UPDATE: JULY 2024

Research report highlights how new CPA Parliamentary Standards for Codes of Conduct for MPs were developed

Following the launch of the new ‘Standards for Codes of Conduct for Members of Parliament and the Parliamentary Workplace’ for use by Parliaments and Legislatures, the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) has published a research report detailing the extensive background research and consultation with Parliaments across the world.

The research report outlines the project’s key findings and five case studies from the Parliament of the Isle of Man (Tynwald), the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories, the Senate of Pakistan, the Legislative Assembly of the Australian Capital Territory, and the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.

The CPA Secretariat worked with Deakin University to develop the updated set of Standards for Codes of Conduct.

The importance of consultation with different Legislatures was detailed by the CPA Secretary-General, Stephen Twigg who said:

“The CPA recognises that no single Parliament is a source of ‘best practice’ in all areas and that all Parliaments are sources of valuable innovations regardless of their size or age and that in fact there are many forms of ‘good practice’; which is why the updated Standards for Codes of Conduct are so valuable as they are drawn from good practice across the Commonwealth.”

The CPA ‘Standards for Codes of Conduct for Members of Parliament and the Parliamentary Workplace’ and the research report are both available to download on the CPA website or by emailing hq.sec@cpahq.org. 

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The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association connects, develops, promotes and supports Parliamentarians and their staff to identify benchmarks of good governance and the implementation of the enduring values of the Commonwealth. The CPA is an international community of around 180 Commonwealth Parliaments and Legislatures working together to deepen the Commonwealth’s commitment to the highest standards of democratic governance.

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