Honours Forfeiture Committee

The committee is only convened at the request of the Prime Minister, under the chairmanship of the Head of the Home Civil Service.{{cite web|url=http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Governmentcitizensandrights/UKgovernment/Honoursawardsandmedals/TheUKhonourssystem/DG_181375|title=Honours Forfeiture Committee|publisher=direct.gov.uk|access-date=31 January 2012|archive-date=3 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121003075628/http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Governmentcitizensandrights/UKgovernment/Honoursawardsandmedals/TheUKhonourssystem/DG_181375|url-status=live}}

The committee conducts its business by correspondence, and only meets to confer about a decision where the probability is to rescind an honour. The committee only considers cases where an individual who has been honoured is judged to have brought the honours system into disrepute, including issues covering someone who:

• has been found guilty by the courts of a criminal offence and sentenced to a term of imprisonment of three months or more
• has been censured, struck off, etc. by the relevant professional or other regulatory authority for action or inaction which was directly relevant to the granting of the honours.

If there is other compelling evidence that an individual has brought the honours system into disrepute, then it is open to the committee to consider such cases as well. The committee also considers matters of general policy regarding forfeiture.

In 2009, Gordon Brown confirmed{{cite web|url=http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.com/pa/cm200809/cmhansrd/cm090212/text/90212w0004.htm#90212w0004.htm_wqn9|title=Written Answers for 12 February 2009 (pt 0004)|work=House of Commons Hansard|access-date=10 May 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303212055/http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.com/pa/cm200809/cmhansrd/cm090212/text/90212w0004.htm#90212w0004.htm_wqn9|archive-date=3 March 2016|url-status=dead}} that the process remains as set out in 1994 by the then Prime Minister John Major in a written answer to the House of Commons:{{blockquote|The statutes of most orders of knighthood and the royal warrants of decorations and medals include provision for the Queen to "cancel and annul" appointments and awards. Cancellation is considered in cases where retention of the appointment or award would bring the honours system into disrepute. There are no set guidelines for cancellations, which are considered on a case-by-case basis. Since 1979, the London Gazette has published details of cancellations of 15 appointments and awards—three knighthoods, one CBE, five OBEs, four MBEs and two BEMs.|John Major|House of Commons Hansard, 2 December 1994, vol 250 c923W{{cite web|url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/written-answers/1994/dec/02/honours-system|title=Written Answers for 2 December 1994, vol 250 c923W|work=Parliamentary Debates (Hansard)|access-date=10 May 2009|archive-date=3 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303234110/http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/1994/dec/02/honours-system|date=2 December 1994|url-status=live}}}}

All decisions made by the committee are submitted to the Monarch through the Office of the Prime Minister. The subjects discussed by the Committee remain confidential at all times, until confirmed by the Monarch.

Decisions on forfeiture are published in the London Gazette.

The Forfeiture Committee has a majority of independent members. It is chaired by Sir Chris Wormald (previously Sir Jonathan Stephens), on delegated authority from the Head of the Civil Service. The other members are the Treasury solicitor and three permanent, independent members.

{{further|List of revocations of appointments to orders and awarded decorations and medals of the United Kingdom}}

• Roger Casement: Knighthood and CMG, August 1916{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/mobile/uk-16736495|title=Queen's honours: People who have turned them down named|publisher=BBC News|date=26 January 2012|access-date=31 January 2012|archive-date=6 February 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120206044738/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/mobile/uk-16736495|url-status=live}}
• Vidkun Quisling: CBE, 1940{{cite news |date=24 June 1940 |title=People |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,764097,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080203143916/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,764097,00.html |archive-date=3 February 2008 |access-date=28 April 2011 |work=Time Magazine |page=1}}
• Anthony Blunt: Knighthood (KCVO), 1979{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/november/16/newsid_3907000/3907233.stm|title=Blunt revealed as fourth man|date=16 November 1979|publisher=BBC News|access-date=31 January 2012|archive-date=26 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126023656/http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/november/16/newsid_3907000/3907233.stm|url-status=live}}
• Lester Piggott: OBE, 1987{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-16823208|title=Honours stripped: Who else has lost out?|publisher=BBC News|date=31 January 2012|access-date=31 January 2012|archive-date=2 February 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120202191457/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-16823208|url-status=live}}
• Jack Lyons: Knighthood and CBE, 1991{{cite web|url=http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=80&id=1717882001|title=Life and high-flying times of four partners in crime|publisher=The Scotsman|access-date=31 January 2012|archive-date=17 May 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070517033805/http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=80&id=1717882001|url-status=live}}
• Naseem Hamed: MBE, 2007
• Fred Goodwin: Knighthood, January 2012{{cite web|url=http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/news/goodwin-knighthood-decision|title=Goodwin Knighthood decision|publisher=Cabinet Office|date=31 January 2012|access-date=31 January 2012|archive-date=6 February 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120206234713/http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/news/goodwin-knighthood-decision|url-status=live}}
• Rolf Harris: CBE, 2015{{cite news |date=3 March 2015 |title=Disgraced entertainer Rolf Harris stripped of CBE |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-31711252 |access-date=3 March 2015 |work=BBC}}{{cite web |date=3 March 2015 |title=Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood |url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/notice/2295581 |access-date=3 March 2015 |work=London Gazette}}
• Hubert Chesshyre: CVO, 2018{{citation |title=Table of recipients who have forfeited honours |date=March 2019 |url=https://www.iicsa.org.uk/key-documents/9860/view/CAB000159_001.pdf |access-date=3 April 2019 |publisher=Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse}}
• Harvey Weinstein: CBE, 2020{{Cite news|date=2020-09-18|title=Harvey Weinstein: Jailed movie producer stripped of honorary CBE|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-54181269|access-date=2020-12-25|archive-date=26 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210226023644/https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-54181269|url-status=live}}
• Paula Vennells: CBE, 2024{{Cite web |date=23 February 2024 |title=Ex-Post Office boss Paula Vennells stripped of CBE |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-68384240 |access-date=2024-02-23 |publisher=BBC News |language=en}}
• Richard Cowie (AKA ‘Wiley’): MBE, 2024{{London Gazette

| issue = 64326

| date = 26 February 2024

| page = 358

}}

An individual can renounce their honour, by returning their insignia to Buckingham Palace and by ceasing to make any reference to having that honour, including ceasing using the honour post-nominals. However, only the monarch can annul an honour, and the individual would still hold the honour unless and until annulled by the monarch.{{Cite web |date=2021-09-30 |title=Having honours taken away (forfeiture) |url=https://www.gov.uk/guidance/having-honours-taken-away-forfeiture |access-date=2024-01-24 |website=GOV.UK |language=en}}

• Honours Committee
• Cash-for-Honours scandal

{{reflist|30em}}

• [https://www.gov.uk/guidance/having-honours-taken-away-forfeiture Honours Forfeiture Committee] at direct.gov.uk

{{British honours system}}

Category:British honours system

Category:Committees of the United Kingdom Cabinet Office