The role of the Commissioner was created in 1995, in response to the first report of the Committee on Standards in Public Life. Its remit was:
- to provide guidance for Government departments on procedures for making public appointments;
- to audit those procedures and report on them annually;
- to investigate complaints about appointment processes.
The main form of guidance is the Commissioner’s Code of Practice, which sets the standard by which appointments should be made and which is based on the seven principles of public appointments.
The Commissioner is independent of government.
The following is a direct link to the Legislation setting out in detail the Commissioner's remit: