Joint Independent Ethics Committee
The committee helps build trust and public confidence in policing by engaging in meaningful debate on ethical issues facing the West Yorkshire Mayor and West Yorkshire Police.
Joint Independent Ethics Committee
Statement of Purpose
The Joint Independent Ethics Committee (JIEC) will be held quarterly.
Purpose:
To help build trust and public confidence in policing by engaging in meaningful debate on ethical issues facing the West Yorkshire Mayor and West Yorkshire Police, acting as a ‘critical friend’, and providing independent expert advice to the Mayor and the Chief Constable to assist them in ensuring that the Force aspires to, and achieves, the highest levels of integrity and standards of service delivery.
The focus of the deliberation will be on current and planned activities.
Reporting:
The Committee will report regularly to the Mayor and Chief Constable and provide them with an annual report of the Committee’s work and will publish minutes of meetings which should also be shared with the Joint Independent Audit Committee and the Force Internal Ethics Committee.
Terms of Reference
The terms of reference will be agreed by the members once in post. Recruitment for membership is underway during Spring 2024.
Membership
The committee will be formed of 5 members, appointed by the Mayor and the Chief Constable (or their representative) following a formal application and interview process.
Chair (vacant)
Members x 4 (vacant)
Recruitment for membership is underway during Spring 2024.
Annual Reports
Annual reports will be published here after the committee has run for 12 months. It is expected that the first meeting will take place during Summer 2024.
Meetings, Agendas and Minutes
Agendas and minutes will be published here after the first committee meeting has run. It is expected that the first meeting will take place during Summer 2024.
The Joint Independent Ethics Committee was established in West Yorkshire, with Chief Constable and Police and Crime Commissioner approval, as an extension of the existing Joint Independent Audit Committee in 2016.
In January 2022 the Chief Constable and Mayor agreed to separate the Audit and Ethics elements of the Joint Committee and to conduct a review of the Ethics Committee with an intention to provide membership which reflects the required expertise and community representation.
The agendas and minutes of the Joint Independent Audit Committee (JIAC) and the Joint Independent Ethics Committee (JIEC) meetings (before the committees were split) can be found on the JIAC webpage.
Members agreed, in the interests of transparency, to routinely publish minutes of the meeting with effect from 13 April 2018. To access minutes of meetings prior to the below, please make a 'freedom of information' request via foi.PC@westyorks-ca.gov.uk.