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Saskatoon city councillors should not be the ones judging whether their colleagues have violated council’s code of conduct, says an independent body tasked with reviewing council policies.

In a report heading to council on Monday, Saskatoon’s municipal review commission says the city should hire an integrity commissioner to handle complaints against councillors.

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Presently, when a councillor is accused of violating the code of conduct, councillors debate behind closed doors whether the complaint is legitimate. They are not required to report the nature or source of the complaint. If the complaint is deemed legitimate and the accused is found guilty, councillors decide what discipline to dole out.

The municipal review commission report says councillors “face a serious conflict of interest in these cases.”

“They are expected to render impartial judgment on people whom they work closely with in politically charged relationships and in an arena that is normally intensely political,” the report says.