Ethics Commissioner

Lisa headshot

As an independent officer, the Ethics Commissioner performs advisory, investigative, and educational services to support fair and transparent governance in relation to the Council Code of Conduct Bylaw. The Ethics Commissioner reports on findings and makes sanctions or disciplinary recommendations to Council, as a mechanism for risk management and resolution of inquiry. The Ethics Commissioner also maintains confidential records and an independent budget. 

Their key responsibilities include, among other things, providing advice and recommendations to Council Members on behaviour that would be consistent with the Council Member’s ethical obligations under the Code of Conduct Bylaw and their statutory compliance and disclosure obligations. The Ethics Commissioner will also be responsible for adjudicating and investigating complaints, as well as delivering educational training and programs to Council Members and staff regarding the role of the Ethics Commissioner and the ethical obligations and responsibilities of Council Members under the Council Code of Conduct Bylaw. 

The Ethics Commissioner will be retained on a contract for a fixed term, with the possibility of extension, subject to termination by a 2/3 vote of all Council members. This is not a full-time, permanent role, and can be assumed as a part of a lawyer’s or other professional’s ongoing practice – the Ethics Commissioner will invoice the City for their services on an hourly rate basis. 

As of January 2026, Lisa Southern has been appointed as the Interim Ethics Commissioner. Lisa received her law degree from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1996. She was called to the British Columbia Bar in 1997. Lisa is a founding partner in Southern Law LLP, Western Canada’s largest workplace investigation firm.
 
In 2022, Lisa was appointed as the inaugural Integrity Commissioner for the City of Vancouver under the Code of Conduct By-Law No. 12886. She held the appointment as Integrity Commissioner for the City of Vancouver for two terms, spanning January, 2022 to November, 2025. In July 2023, Lisa was also appointed as the first Park Board Integrity Commissioner for the Vancouver Park Board. In 2024, Lisa was appointed as the Integrity Officer of the British Columbia Nurse’ Union Independent Ethics Office, and as the Integrity Commissioner of the Squamish Nation.
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