MEET THE COMMISSIONER DOUGLAS BAIN
Following an open competition, I took up office as the Senedd Commissioner for Standards on 1 April 2021.
I was called to the Scottish Bar in 1974. After a period in private practice, I served in the Office of the Solicitor to the Secretary of State for Scotland and then as a Procurator Fiscal Depute latterly specialising in the investigation of serious and complex fraud and corruption.
In 1988 I moved to Northern Ireland where I was the Deputy Director and then Director of the Terrorist Finance Unit and later Director of the Police Service of Northern Ireland Financial Crime Services Unit. From 2000 -2006I was the Director of Services in the Northern Ireland Prison Service. Following my retirement from the civil service I served as the Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland from 2006 to 2010. From 2010 to 2013 I was one of the Commissioners of Parades Commission for Northern Ireland. I was the first Northern Ireland Assembly Commissioner for Standards and held that office from 2012 until 2017. Between 2010 and 2017 I held a number of other public appointments including Member of the National Security Certificate Appeals Tribunal (2012 -2017), Appointed Person for all three UK jurisdictions under the Proceeds of Crime Act (2012 -2017) and Independent Assessor for the Commissioner for Public Appointments for Northern Ireland (2018 – 2021).
In 2018, the National Assembly for Wales appointed me as an Acting Standards Commissioner to deal with a complaint against a Member from which the then Commissioner had recused himself. In November 2019, following the resignation of Sir Roderick Evans, I was again appointed as Acting Standards Commissioner this time to deal with all the functions of that office. I continued in that role until my appointment as the Commissioner in April 2021.
In 2006 I was appointed CBE for services to the Northern Ireland Prison Service. I served in the Territorial Army for 21 years and hold the Territorial Decoration with bar.
I live with my wife in County Down and have no financial or business interests in Wales.