Blog
Rayner my parade! The importance of specialist advice.
Jemma Brimblecombe
26 September 2023
Inappropriate emails - ICAEW case provides helpful guidance on the threshold for discreditable behaviour
In a recent case, a member of the ICAEW (Mr F) was excluded from membership for sending numerous emails between 2015 and 2018 which were found to be contrary to the requirements of the ICAEW’s Code of Ethics in relation to professional behaviour.
19 September 2023
Recent RICS decisions in dishonesty cases show that engagement is imperative
RICS’ Published Regulatory Outcomes from this summer include two cases of dishonesty resulting in very different sanctions. It is often assumed that, if dishonesty is found proved, a professional will always be expelled from their regulatory body (and that is often the case). However, the different outcomes in these cases demonstrate that engaging with the process, attending the hearing and submitting evidence in mitigation can make all the difference to the final outcome, even in a dishonesty case.
15 September 2023
From Freshers' Week to Professional Practice: What You Need to Know
Starting university is both exciting and daunting. You are about to embark on the journey into higher education, meeting new people, forming professional networks and for many, the first time away from home. There is a lot of information to consume, but one thing that is very important to understand, is that students who study on professional courses are expected to uphold high standards of behaviour.
7 September 2023
Court of Appeal ruling raises hope for clarification on CBD legal status
Cannabidiol (known as ‘CBD’ for short), is a non-psychotropic extract found in the cannabis plant, which means that its consumption does not make a person high. Rather, it is claimed that it can help ease anxiety, pain and insomnia (research is ongoing in relation to these claims). The CBD market has been growing expeditiously in recent years and, according to a report commissioned by the Association for the Cannabinoid Industry, CBD sales in the UK valued at £690 million in 2021, with the British public now spending more on CBD supplements than Vitamins B and C combined.
7 September 2023
The ICAEW’s approach to the misuse of social media – what are a regulated firm’s responsibilities?
The ICAEW recently extended the Duty to Report Misconduct to member firms (see our blog from last month). In light of this, when does an ICAEW member firm have a duty to report a principal or staff member who is a member of the ICAEW and who has potentially misused social media?
Member firms must report to the ICAEW any events which may indicate that a relevant person may be liable to disciplinary action in accordance with the Disciplinary Bye-Laws (DBLs). But how do firms assess whether questionable social media communications cross the threshold of seriousness to amount to conduct which may be liable to disciplinary action?