Ethics Committee in Parliament

Each of the two Houses of Parliament has an ethics committee. They deal with the members’ conduct. These panels were recently looking into complaints against Amethi MP Rahul Gandhi and Rajya Sabha MP Vijay Mallya.

Role of Ethics Committees

Besides overseeing the moral and ethical conduct of members, ethics committee also prepares a Code of Conduct for members, which are amended from time to time. The ethics committee in Lok Sabha has 15 MPs. In Rajya Sabha this number stands at 10.

Who can file complaint?

Any person may make a complaint to the Committee regarding alleged unethical behaviour or breach of Code of Conduct by a member or alleged incorrect information of a member’s interests. The Committee may also take up matters suo motu.

Punishment

Where it has been found that a member has indulged in unethical behaviour or there is other misconduct or a member has contravened the rules, the Committee may recommend imposition of one or more of the sanctions. This may include censure, reprimand, suspension from the House for a specific period or any other sanction determined by the Committee.