Recusal is a cornerstone of effective conflict of interest regimes.
There are recusal requirements in both of the regimes administered by the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner: the
Conflict of Interest Act for public office holders and the
Conflict of Interest Code for Members of the House of Commons.
Establishing conflict of interest screens eliminates the likelihood of a situation arising that would require recusal under the Act. These are formal arrangements that the Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner helps public office holders make in advance in order to avoid dealing with files that pose a real or potential conflict of interest. If a screen is in place, files that pose a potential conflict of interest are not brought to the public office holder's attention and therefore no recusal is required.
Recusal Rules for Public Office Holders
