When reviewing whether an honour should be revoked, authorities typically consider four main criteria. These include whether the 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’.”
Even so, the process is not limited to these specific conditions. Any case may be reviewed if there is evidence suggesting that allowing someone to keep the honour could damage the reputation of the honours system.
In some cases, the honour can even be revoked due to events that occurred before the award was originally granted.
“For example, a past criminal conviction, even if spent,” Gov UK adds.
