During the year, the Commissioners considered two appeals.
The first alleged political bias at a senior level within the Civil Service. It concerned a statement in a departmental board paper which could have been interpreted as putting forward a personal political view, thus raising the question of the confidence that a different Administration might have in the person making the statement. The senior civil servant in question had left the civil service. The Commissioners concluded that it was impossible to interpret the writer's motivation in making the statement and therefore whether or not the statement was politically motivated. However, the statement did raise a question about the confidence that a future Administration might have in those associated with making the statement, and in this respect it was a breach of the Code's requirement that civil servants should conduct themselves in such a way as to deserve and retain the confidence of Ministers and be able to establish the same relationship with those whom they may be required to serve in some future Administration.
