The Falkland Islands Constitution Order 2008

Public Accounts Committee

81.—(1) There shall be a Public Accounts Committee which shall consist of—

(a) a chairman and two other members appointed by the Governor, acting after consultation with the elected members of the Legislative Assembly, from among persons who are not members of the Assembly; and

(b) two elected members of the Assembly, who shall be elected by the Assembly by a majority of the elected members of the Assembly;

but the Director of Finance and the Chairman and the Deputy Chairman of the Standing Finance Committee of the Assembly shall be disqualified for membership of the Public Accounts Committee.

(2) A person may be appointed or elected under subsection (1) for any period not exceeding four years.

(3) A member of the Public Accounts Committee shall vacate his or her seat on the Committee—

(a) at the expiration of the period for which he or she was appointed or elected;

(b) if he or she resigns by writing under his or her hand addressed to the Governor;

(c) in the case of an appointed member, if he or she is removed by the Governor, acting after consultation with the elected members of the Legislative Assembly, or if he or she is appointed to the office of Director of Finance; or

(d) in the case of an elected member, if he or she ceases to be a member of the Legislative Assembly, is removed by resolution of the Assembly or becomes the Chairman or the Deputy Chairman of the Standing Finance Committee of the Assembly.

(4) The Public Accounts Committee may invite any person to assist it in its work and to participate in its proceedings.

(5) The Public Accounts Committee shall examine and report on all public accounts and audit reports that are required to be laid before the Legislative Assembly, and shall have such other functions, and shall operate under such procedures, as may be prescribed by or under an Ordinance.

(6) The Public Accounts Committee shall have power—

(a) to summon any person to appear before it; and

(b) subject to the provisions of any law, to require any person so summoned to answer questions and to provide information to the Committee.

(7) The Public Accounts Committee shall report on its activities to the Legislative Assembly, keeping the Governor closely informed, as often as it may consider necessary but at least annually, and the Committee shall publish all such reports without delay.

(8) If in respect of any item of business before the Public Accounts Committee the Governor, acting after consultation with the chairman of the Committee, considers that a member of the Committee has a conflict of interests, the Governor, acting after consultation with the elected members of the Legislative Assembly, may appoint another person temporarily to replace that member of the Committee for the purpose of dealing with the business in question; and a member so replaced shall not sit on the Committee when the Committee is dealing with that business.

(9) In the exercise of its functions, the Public Accounts Committee shall not be subject to the direction or control of any other person or authority.