A. Principles and criteria

1. Removing an honour from an eminent individual or from someone who has been of significant service to the University is a grave decision and one that will only be taken exceptionally. Only Council may rescind an honour which it has awarded. Any consideration of revocation must be undertaken sensitively, with care and with due consideration of fairness toward and respect for the privacy of the individual concerned.

2. In support of the tenets of freedom of expression, which are fundamental at a university, ideological difference with members of the University community or with the university’s stakeholders is not in and of itself grounds for review or revocation.

3. Council will not consider revocation of an honour unless it receives substantial new information which, for good reason, was not available to it at the time of the award (and at the time of any previous consideration by Council). It will not rescind an honour unless in its judgement one or more of the following apply:

• 3.1 There are findings of serious misconduct, criminal activity or adverse findings in civil proceedings or disciplinary proceedings by regulatory authorities
• 3.2 The original rationale for conferring the award was materially inaccurate.
• 3.3 The individual has acted in a way that is fundamentally inconsistent with the values of the University
• 3.4 The reputation of the University will be damaged from continued association with the individual concerned and the damage from maintaining the award will be greater than from revoking it.

4. If in its judgement, one or more of criteria 3.1-3.4 apply, Council may choose to rescind an award. Council will not, normally, revoke or consider revoking an award posthumously. Before reaching a decision, Council will ensure that the following process has been followed.

B. Process

1. Any member of the King’s College community may request that Council revoke an honour. Requests for review or revocation of an award must be submitted to the College Secretary. If on receipt of such a request the College Secretary judges that there is or may be new information not available to Council at the time of its previous consideration of the individual, the Secretary shall forward the request to the Vice-Chancellor & President.

2. On receipt of such a request, if the Vice-Chancellor & President determines that there is or may be substantial new information and it is necessary to establish the veracity of such new information and/or that the information requires examination to determine whether or not it provides reason for Council to reconsider the award of the honour, then the Vice-Chancellor & President will appoint an investigator they judge suitable to investigate the case. The decision to appoint an investigator is a neutral act.

3. The investigator will be tasked with establishing the facts of the case, bearing in mind the reasons for the request for revocation and criteria A3.1-4 above. The investigator will produce a report for the Fellowships and Honorary Degrees Committee (FHDC) which sets out the facts as they relate to the criteria. The investigator may be supported by other staff at the investigator’s discretion.

4. The investigation report will be provided to the Fellowship & Honorary Degrees Committee. The Vice-Chancellor & President may provide advice and/or recommendations to the FHDC at the same time.

5. The Fellowships & Honorary Degrees Committee will consider the case. If FHDC consider that there may be a case for the award to be rescinded, they will ensure that the recipient of the award has an opportunity to respond before reaching a view. FHDC will recommend to Council either that an award should be rescinded or that it should not be and may provide such other recommendations or advice as it judges appropriate.

6. Council will consider FHDC’s recommendation and reach a decision as to whether or not an honour should be revoked. Council’s decision is final.

Approved by Council, 22 November 2022