Nolan's legacy: regulating parliamentary conduct in democratising Europe

Codes of conduct are used widely in both public administration and industry by organisations seeking to regulate the behaviour of their members and promote adherence to a set of standards. In legislatures, the introduction of codes has gathered pace in recent years, driven either by a perceived need to respond to a corruption scandal or, especially in Eastern Europe, by international efforts to promote democracy and reduce corruption. This article sets out a theoretical case for the conditions in which codes are likely to be effective instruments of regulation. It suggests that a supportive culture of informal institutions is critical but unlikely to prevail in most democratising societies. However, the process of introducing codes may help to create the appropriate conditions.