There are no penalties when the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner finds in an investigation that someone has contravened the Conflict of Interest Act or the Conflict of Interest Code for Members of the House of Commons. (Investigations are called “examinations" under the Act and “inquiries" under the Code.)
However, all investigation reports are made public, shedding light on the activities investigated.
The Commissioner also sends reports on examinations under the Act to the Prime Minister. It is up to the Prime Minister to implement any further action.
The Commissioner may recommend appropriate sanctions in an inquiry report when a Member of the House of Commons has contravened the Code. The first time a federal Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner did that was in the Maloney Report. The House of Commons itself decides whether to impose sanctions.
Under the Act, the Commissioner can impose administrative monetary penalties of up to $500 for not meeting certain reporting deadlines. These penalties appear in the public registry.
The Code does not provide for any penalties.
