The Local Government Act 2020 (the Act) and the Local Government (Governance and Integrity) Regulations 2000 (the Regulations) set out how this process is to be undertaken and the exact wording that must be used to officially become a Councillor.
Following the 2024 local government elections, the Inspectorate received several queries from council officers and complaints from the public around whether a Councillor Elect was legally a Councillor if they had deviated from the wording prescribed by legislation.
Upon review of online footage from various council websites, it was found that several Councillors Elect had deviated from the wording outlined by the Regulations. In response to this, the CMI wrote to all council CEOs directly to attest that all their respective Councillors Elect had correctly stated their oath or affirmation. As a result, it became clear that several Councillors Elect had to re-take the oath or affirmation.
The Inspectorate continues to encourage new and returning Councillor Elects to explore the resources available to them so they can fulfil their legislative obligations. These resources can be found here.
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