Guidance

List of individuals who have forfeited their honour (since August 2023)

Updated 23 February 2024

Date Name Honour Received Reason for forfeiture
August 2023 Peter Antonelli MBE 2005 Criminal conviction
August 2023 Anthony Bailey OBE 2008 Breach of court order
August 2023 McKeeva Bush OBE 1987 Criminal conviction
August 2023 Paul Cahill MBE 2004 Criminal conviction
August 2023 Dario Gradi MBE 1998 Professional disbarment
August 2023 Anthony Griffin BEM 2019 Criminal conviction
August 2023 Thomas Hogg MBE 2016 Criminal conviction
August 2023 Richard Pallister OBE 1996 Criminal conviction
August 2023 Raymond Parry MBE 2007 Criminal conviction
August 2023 Krishna Singh MBE 2013 Criminal conviction
August 2023 Jonathan Ullmer MBE 2014 Professional disbarment
August 2023 Nicholas Welch OBE 2021 Criminal conviction
February 2024 Richard Cowie MBE 2018 Bringing the honours system into disrepute
February 2024 High Morgan-Willaims MBE 2008 Criminal conviction
February 2024 Paula Vennells CBE 2019 Bringing the honours system into disrepute

Statements relating to deceased honours recipients

September 2021

James Wilson Vincent Savile

Statement regarding James Wilson Vincent Savile following allegations of numerous crimes of a sexual nature:

The Forfeiture Committee considers recommendations to remove honours from individuals where a recipient has brought the honours system into disrepute. The Forfeiture Committee is not an investigative body and is unable to make a determination of guilt or innocence. Orders of Chivalry are living Orders and individuals cease to be a member when they die, therefore honours can not be removed from individuals now deceased.

James Wilson Vincent Savile was awarded an OBE in 1972. He was knighted in 1990. He died on 29th October 2011. The Director for Public Prosecutions has since stated that criminal prosecutions should have occured during his lifetime, based on the evidence. The Forfeiture Committee can confirm that had James Wilson Vincent Savile been convicted of the crimes of which he is accused, forfeiture proceedings would have commenced.

Cyril Smith

Statement regarding Cyril Smith following allegations of numerous crimes of a sexual nature:

The Forfeiture Committee considers recommendations to remove honours from individuals where a recipient has brought the honours system into disrepute. The Forfeiture Committee is not an investigative body and is unable to make a determination of guilt or innocence. Orders of Chivalry are living Orders and individuals cease to be a member when they die, therefore honours can not be removed from individuals now deceased.

Cyril Smith was awarded an MBE in 1966. He was knighted in 1988. He died on 3rd September 2010. Greater Manchester Police have since stated that criminal prosecution should have occured during his lifetime. They added that there was ‘overwhelming evidence’ that he had sexually and physically abused young boys. The Forfeiture Committee can confirm that had Cyril Smith been convicted of the crimes of which he is accused, forfeiture proceedings would have commenced.

February 2024

Peter Sherwin

The Forfeiture Committee considers recommendations to remove honours from individuals where a recipient has brought the honours system into disrepute. The Forfeiture Committee is not an investigative body and is unable to make a determination of guilt or innocence. Orders of Chivalry are living Orders and individuals cease to be a member when they die, therefore honours can not be removed from individuals now deceased.

Peter Wallace Sherwin was awarded an MBE in 1987. He died on 15th June 2014. The West Midlands Police have since confirmed that witness statements have been taken in relation to allegations made against him since his death, and a crime of rape of a child under the age of 13 has been recorded as being suspected to have occurred. The Forfeiture Committee can confirm that had Peter Wallace Sherwin been convicted of the crimes of which he is accused, forfeiture proceedings would have commenced.