Honours (Prevention of Abuses) Act 1925

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The Honours (Prevention of Abuses) Act 1925 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, passed in 1925 (15 & 16 Geo. V c. 72) , that makes the sale of Peerages and other Honours illegal. It was brought in after the Liberal Party government of David Lloyd George (later 1st Earl Lloyd George of Dwyfor) was embroiled in a widespread and long-term sale of Honours, to benefit Liberal Party funds, and allegedly for the personal financial gain of the Prime Minister, in a then-legal abuse of the Prime Minister's powers of patronage.

Only one person has ever been convicted under the Act — Maundy Gregory, Lloyd George's "honours broker" — whose actions were the main cause of the Act in the first place.

In March 2006, the Metropolitan Police confirmed that, following complaints by the Scottish National Party and others, they were investigating possible breaches of the Act. A total of £14 million in loans was given by wealthy individuals to Labour during the 2005 general election campaign and four of these men were subsequently nominated for Life Peerages. (see main article Cash for Peerages)

[edit] The Act

Honours (Prevention of Abuses) Act 1925 (C.72) Royal Assent: [7th August 1925] 1.— Punishment of abuses in connection with the grant of honours. (1) If any person accepts or obtains or agrees to accept or attempts to obtain from any person, for himself or for any other person, or for any purpose, any gift, money or valuable consideration as an inducement or reward for procuring or assisting or endeavouring to procure the grant of a dignity or title of honour to any person, or otherwise in connection with such a grant, he shall be guilty of a misdemeanour. (2) If any person gives, or agrees or proposes to give, or offers to any person any gift, money or valuable consideration as an inducement or reward for procuring or assisting or endeavouring to procure the grant of a dignity or title of honour to any person, or otherwise in connection with such a grant, he shall be guilty of a misdemeanour. (3) Any person guilty of a misdemeanour under this Act shall be liable on conviction on indictment to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or to a fine not exceeding five hundred pounds, or to both such imprisonment and such fine, or on summary conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months or to a fine not exceeding fifty pounds, or to both such imprisonment and such fine, and where the person convicted (whether on indictment or summarily) received any such gift, money, or consideration as aforesaid which is capable of forfeiture, he shall in addition to any other punishment be liable to forfeit the same to His Majesty. 2. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Honours (Prevention of Abuses) Act 1925.