The role of the Standards Commission is to promote high ethical standards in public life through the promotion and enforcement of Codes of Conduct for councillors and members of devolved public bodies.

The appointment of Malcolm Bell follows an open recruitment process. Mr Bell will take up the position of convener in March 2025.

He will replace Ashleigh Dunn’s whose six-year term of office as a member of the Standards Commission comes to an end on 3 March 2025.

A retired senior police officer, Mr Bell was an elected councillor and convener of Shetland Islands Council for 10 years until 2022, working under and promoting the Councillors Code of Conduct.

Mr Bell is an experienced investigator and has extensive governance experience. Amongst his previous appointments, he was Vice-Chair of NHS Shetland, President of the Scottish Provosts Association, has chaired both child and adult protection committees and was a director of the Improvement Service Ltd. for seven years.

He is currently a member of the Accounts Commission for Scotland. Mr Bell has been an honorary sheriff for 15 years and was recently appointed a justice of the peace.