Recommendation 99: Honours forfeiture for CSA convictions
From Allegations of Child Sexual Abuse Linked to Westminster Investigation Report, published 25 February 2020.
Recommendation
The criteria for forfeiture of all honours must be formally extended to include convictions, cautions and cases decided by trial of the facts involving offences of child sexual abuse. This must be set out in a published policy and procedure, which must include a clear policy on how forfeiture decisions are made public. The Inquiry expects the Forfeiture Committee to take a lead on this matter.
In brief (written by this site)
The Inquiry asked the Cabinet Office to extend honours forfeiture criteria to child sexual abuse offences. In guidance updated in December 2025, the department specified forfeiture criteria covering sexual offences convictions and determinations following a trial of the facts, though cautions were not mentioned (Cabinet Office, Dec 2025). Previously, in September 2020, HM Government stated that the Committee on the Grant of Honours, Decorations and Medals was conducting an in-depth review of forfeiture policy (Cabinet Office response, Sep 2020; Cabinet Office, Sep 2020).
AI-generated summary of the record on this page, checked by a second model and automatic checks, 5 Oct 2026. The record below is the sources' own words.
Government response
The Honours and Appointments Secretariat in the Cabinet Office coordinates the operation of the honours system and supports the Forfeiture Committee and the Committee on the Grant of Honours, Decorations and Medals (known as the HD Committee). The HD Committee is the policy forum for the honours system. It gives advice about possible changes to the honours system and military medals policy. This includes responsibility for policy on forfeiture of honours. Its members are senior officials in the Civil Service and the Royal Household. An honour can be revoked if it is determined that an individual has behaved in a way that brings the honours system into disrepute. Specific examples of disrepute include being convicted of a criminal offence, sanctioned by a regulator, or stuck off by a professional body, but any action or inaction can be considered. Recommendations to forfeit are made by the Forfeiture Committee to the Prime Minister, and then to The Queen for approval. The Forfeiture Committee has a majority of independent members and is chaired by a Permanent Secretary, on delegated authority from the Head of the Civil Service. The Committee is not an investigatory body – it does not decide whether or not someone is guilty or innocent of a particular act. Instead, it reflects the findings of official investigations and makes a recommendation of whether or not the honours system has been brought into disrepute. The Committee is also not a policy-making body. Most of the structure and responsibility for the operation of the honours system is therefore independent of the government of the day. Changes to policy on forfeiture are made on advice from the HD Committee, which may in turn be advised by a range of sources including the Forfeiture Committee. The HD Committee is taking forward an in-depth review of forfeiture policy in this area, in response to the recommendations made by the Inquiry. We will continue to keep the Inquiry informed of progress in this area.
How this response relates to the recommendation
Site note: The document gives this passage once, under "the response to recommendations 1 and 2". The site records it on both recommendations.
Delivery
Cabinet Office says partially delivered (4 December 2025)
Examples include if an individual:
has been found guilty by the courts of a criminal offence and sentenced to a term of imprisonment of more than three months
has been censured or struck off by the relevant regulatory authority or professional body, for actions or failures to act, especially which are directly relevant to the granting of the honour
has been found guilty by the courts of a criminal offence covered by the Sexual Offences Act 2003 (England and Wales), Sexual Offences Order 2008 (Northern Ireland) or Sexual Offences Act 2009 (Scotland);
has been found to have committed a sexual act which is listed in the Acts above following a ‘trial of the facts’.
From: Having honours taken away (forfeiture)
Site note: Cabinet Office guidance on GOV.UK. The row is dated to the version of the page read, last updated 4 December 2025 (a change to the section on the Committee's membership). GOV.UK's change history records "Updates to policy" on 30 September 2021 but does not say which words changed. The page does not refer to the recommendation, and does not mention cautions, which the recommendation also names.
Earlier statement on delivery (1)
Cabinet Office (18 September 2020)
The HD Committee is taking forward an in-depth review of forfeiture policy in this area, in response to the recommendations made by the Inquiry.
Source
Responsible bodies
Themes and tags
Who has spoken
- Cabinet Office
Response, delivery statement