The Museums Association’s (MA) ethics committee has ruled that Croydon council should face disciplinary action over its disposal of 24 Chinese ceramics from the Riesco Collection next month.
Following a meeting last month, ethics committee convenor Nick Merriman said: “We reviewed the actions of Croydon council against the guidance in the MA’s code of ethics on financially motivated disposal, and found it had not met the requirements of the code of ethics in a significant number of areas, despite considerable efforts by the MA to engage with it on these issues.
“The committee therefore reported to the MA’s director that Croydon council is in breach of the code of ethics, and recommended that he considers disciplinary action against the council.”
Council representatives will be asked to attend a disciplinary hearing at the MA, where they will have an opportunity to state their case before a panel made up of three MA board members.
Mark Taylor, director of the MA, said: “If the panel then decides that the disposal contravenes the code of ethics, it has the power to recommend expulsion from the MA.”
Croydon council has also been warned by Arts Council England that its Accreditation status will be reassessed.
Following a meeting last month, ethics committee convenor Nick Merriman said: “We reviewed the actions of Croydon council against the guidance in the MA’s code of ethics on financially motivated disposal, and found it had not met the requirements of the code of ethics in a significant number of areas, despite considerable efforts by the MA to engage with it on these issues.
“The committee therefore reported to the MA’s director that Croydon council is in breach of the code of ethics, and recommended that he considers disciplinary action against the council.”
Council representatives will be asked to attend a disciplinary hearing at the MA, where they will have an opportunity to state their case before a panel made up of three MA board members.
Mark Taylor, director of the MA, said: “If the panel then decides that the disposal contravenes the code of ethics, it has the power to recommend expulsion from the MA.”
Croydon council has also been warned by Arts Council England that its Accreditation status will be reassessed.
