The Government has today published a Command Paper on the proposed Public Service (Standards and Conflict of Interests) Bill. The Bill seeks to implement recommendations one and two from Sir  Peter Openshaw’s McGrail Inquiry report.

A statement from the Govenrment follows below:

The Government has today published a Command Paper on the proposed Public Service (Standards  and Conflict of Interests) Bill.

The Bill seeks to implement recommendations one and two from Sir  Peter Openshaw’s McGrail Inquiry report. It has been drafted in a private capacity by Daniel  Greenberg CB (former UK Parliamentary Counsel, presently serving as Commissioner for  Standards in the House of Commons).  

An earlier draft of the Bill was first discussed with a wide cross-section of public officials, statutory  bodies, law enforcement agencies and representatives of the business community in a series of  meetings in early February. The consultation included a meeting with the Opposition. The original  Bill has already been amended following feedback received at those meetings, as well as written  submissions received since. The Government now extends this consultation to the wider public by  publishing the Bill as a Command Paper. 

An extensive explanatory memorandum is included at the end of the Bill, explaining all relevant  clauses in detail.  

In response to key feedback received, express provision has been made enabling the Chief Minister  to exclude from the operation of the Act public bodies (such as regulators) in respect of which the Government is satisfied that they already operate arrangements to address the conflict of interests  and standards in public life issues and the matters specifically dealt with by the Act, in a manner and  to an extent that is appropriate having regard to the functions of the body and all other  circumstances. Powers are also provided enabling exemptions of specified classes of public official  from requirements to register and declare interests (which could include, for example, provision  exempting volunteer members of statutory authorities or boards).  

The Command Paper can be found at www.gibraltarlaws.gov.gi/command-papers. Responses to  the Command Paper must be submitted to [email protected] or delivered in  writing to: 

Command Papers Consultation C01/2026 

c/o Michael Podesta  

Crown Counsel  

Office of Parliamentary Counsel 

Government Law Offices 

HM Government of Gibraltar  

40 Town Range

Gibraltar  

The deadline for public consultation is 10thApril 2026. The Government is committed to publishing  the final Bill by 17th April 2026, within the 100 days set out by the Chief Minister in his address of  7th January 2026. 

The Chief Minister, the Hon Fabian Picardo KC MP, said: “I am very grateful to Daniel Greenberg  CB for having worked with Michael Podesta of the Government Law Offices to produce this  complex Bill in a short time. The Canadian model proposed initially is not workable for Gibraltar.  This is therefore a bespoke model for our circumstances which may become THE standard going  forward. I am also very grateful for those that have already provided feedback and who have taken  to time to consider the first draft of the Bill. I look forward to feedback from the wider public  consultation which the Command Paper procedure, which we introduced after 2011, will now  produce.”