Summary
This foundational policy document, produced by the Committee on Standards in Public Life (the Nolan Committee) in 1995, establishes a widely adopted ethical framework for those exercising public roles in the United Kingdom. It defines seven principles intended to govern conduct across public bodies, elected offices, and increasingly in private and voluntary sector organisations operating under public contract. The document is not a research study but a normative framework that has shaped public sector governance, audit standards, and codes of conduct across the UK for three decades.
UK applicability
This document is explicitly UK in origin and application, forming the basis for codes of conduct across UK public bodies, local government, the civil service, and publicly funded organisations. It is frequently referenced in regulatory frameworks and public–private partnership governance arrangements in the UK.
Key measures
Seven named principles of conduct; qualitative definitions and guidance for each principle
Outcomes reported
The document sets out seven foundational principles — selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty, and leadership — intended to define the ethical standards expected of all those holding public office or exercising public functions.
Topic tags
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