The Standards Committee of Wandsworth Council met on Tuesday 21 January 2020 to discuss proposed changes to the process for hearings concerning alleged breaches of the Members' Code of Conduct. The committee also reviewed the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism and its incorporation into the Council's Constitution.

Proposed Process for Standards Committee Hearings

A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to discussing a proposed process for Standards Committee hearings. This included the potential appointment of a Standards (Hearings) Sub-Committee. The report pack indicated that this sub-committee would be responsible for conducting hearings when both the investigating officer and the Standards Committee have determined that a Member may have breached the code of conduct.

The committee was invited to recommend to the Council the appointment of this sub-committee and to approve its proposed procedure, which would be incorporated into Part 5 of the Council's Constitution. The report also highlighted that the composition of the Standards (Hearings) Sub-Committee might not always adhere to proportionality principles due to availability or conflicts of interest. Additionally, an amendment to the Terms of Reference of the Standards Committee was proposed to clarify its role in applying or recommending sanctions to a subject Member.

The proposed hearings procedure, detailed in Appendix B of the report, outlined the membership, objectives, and terms of reference for the Standards (Hearings) Sub-Committee. It also set out a detailed procedure for conducting hearings, covering aspects such as representation, legal issues, voting, procedural matters, findings of fact, and the issuance of written decisions. The procedure also noted that hearings would generally be held in public unless there were specific grounds to classify parts of the meeting as exempt or confidential.

The report also included a summary of the Council's existing complaints process for alleged misconduct by a Member, which outlines the stages from admissibility and initial assessment to formal investigation and hearing. This process aims to ensure that complaints are handled fairly and efficiently, with a focus on promoting and maintaining high standards of member conduct.

International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Definition of Antisemitism

The committee was also scheduled to consider a report regarding the incorporation of the full wording of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism into the relevant codes within the Council's Constitution. This followed a Council decision on 5th December 2018 to adopt this definition. The report invited Members to note the textual changes made to the Members' Code of Conduct as a result of this decision.