The Nolan Committee on Ethics

The Nolan Committee was established in the United Kingdom in 1994 to examine and make recommendations on ethical standards in public life. The committee produced a report called "Standards in Public Life," which set out seven key principles of public life that has become known as the "Nolan principles." These principles are

1. Selflessness - public officeholders should act solely in the public interest.
2. Integrity - holders of public office should not place themselves under any financial or other obligation to outside individuals or organizations that might seek to influence them in the performance of their official duties.
3. Objectivity - holders of public office should make decisions solely on the basis of merit and in the public interest.
4. Accountability - holders of public office are accountable for their decisions and actions to the public and must submit themselves to whatever scrutiny is appropriate to their office.
5. Openness - holders of public office should be as open as possible about all the decisions and actions they take. They should give reasons for their decisions and restrict information only when the wider public interest clearly demands it.
6. Honesty - holders of public office have a duty to declare any private interests relating to their public duties and to take steps to resolve any conflicts arising in a way that protects the public interest.
7. Leadership - holders of public office should promote and support these principles by leadership and example.