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Apply to serve on an ICAEW regulatory or disciplinary committee

Regulations

Published: 08 Sep 2022 Updated: 23 Jan 2023 Update History

All significant decisions on regulatory and conduct matters are made by ICAEW regulatory and disciplinary committees. These committees operate independently from ICAEW staff and comprise of a parity of lay and chartered accountants with a lay chair who has a casting vote. This maintains an important balance of technical insight from the chartered accountant members and public interest insight from the lay members.

Members of the regulatory and disciplinary committees are appointed by the Regulatory and Conduct Appointments Committee (RACAC) which has a majority of lay members and a lay chair, and which reports to the ICAEW Regulatory Board (IRB).

ICAEW regulatory and disciplinary and regulatory committees support the operation of the Professional Standards Department. The department is responsible for developing, maintaining and supporting high standards of practice and professional conduct.

To achieve a clear separation of responsibility for policy making and enforcement, members of the ICAEW Council cannot serve on any of these committees.

The committees

Statutory regulation

The following committees are responsible for regulatory matters.

  • The Audit Registration Committee
  • The Investment Business Committee
  • The Insolvency Licensing Committee
  • The Probate Committee
  • The Professional Indemnity Insurance (PII) Committee
  • The Review Committee

Other committees and boards

  • The Practice Assurance Committee
  • The Chartered Accountants Compensation Scheme Board

Discipline

The following committees are responsible for disciplinary matters.

  • The Investigation Committee
  • The Disciplinary Committee
  • The Fitness Committee

Appeals

The Appeal Committee hears appeals from either the Review Committee or the Disciplinary Committee.

Access further information about ICAEW Regulatory and Disciplinary committees

Access the ICAEW Regulatory and Disciplinary committees structure

Serving on a regulatory or disciplinary committee

Each committee meets between three and twelve times a year. Pre-reading and preparation ahead of each meeting is required. Meetings usually take place either at Chartered Accountants’ Hall, London or virtually.

Current vacancies

Applications to serve on ICAEW regulatory and disciplinary committees will open in Q3 2023 for 2024 roles. To register your interest, please complete the form below and we’ll be in contact with further details later in the year.

Registration of interest – regulatory and disciplinary committees

Applications to serve on ICAEW regulatory and disciplinary committees will open in Q3 2023 for 2024 roles. To register your interest, please complete the form below and we’ll be in contact with further details later in the year.

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Using your personal information

We will treat your personal information in accordance with data protection legislation. We will use your information for administration, communication and research. To do this we will share your information with our business partners.

We may transfer your information outside the European Economic Area (EEA) eg, to one of our offices. These countries may not have similar data protection laws to the EEA, so if we do transfer your information we will take the necessary steps to ensure that your privacy rights are still protected.

For more information about our data protection policy please go to icaew.com/dataprotection.

What do we mean by a lay member?

An individual who is not and never has been a member, affiliate or employee of ICAEW or any other accountancy body. To enhance public confidence in the regulatory process, further relevant restrictions may be appropriate for each committee. Preference is given to individuals who are users of accountancy services.

Clean regulatory and or disciplinary history requirement

It should be noted that all applicants should have a clean regulatory and/or disciplinary history.

Post-appointment

Appointment and tenure of office

Committee members are usually appointed to each committee for a three-year term. Reappointment can be made at the end of the first term for another three years, subject to consistently high performance and the needs of ICAEW. Each reappointment will be considered, it is not automatic. 

 

Remuneration

Lay committee members receive an allowance of £350 for attendance at committee meetings and for each day of a hearing or committee meeting. This includes full hearings or meetings which members attend using teleconferencing facilities.

From 1 January 2023, ICAEW and accountant members will also be remunerated at the same rate.

All committee members are eligible to claim expenses, at rates set centrally, for travel and subsistence costs necessarily incurred on ICAEW business. These will be reimbursed directly, and committee members must make their own arrangements for any payment of tax or National Insurance contributions. Remuneration and expenses are subject to periodic review.

 

Training

We will provide appropriate training. Each successful candidate must attend an induction and the annual committee training day on dates to be arranged, as soon as possible after appointment. Successful candidates will be invited to observe a committee meeting before taking up their duties as a committee member. 

 

High standards

Committee members are expected to demonstrate high standards of corporate and personal conduct. The successful candidates will be asked to subscribe to a Code of Conduct and the standards of probity required by public appointees.

Committee members are expected to fulfil their duties towards ICAEW in accordance with the following principles, which are based on the Royal Charter and the ICAEW Code of Ethics

Diversity and equality of opportunity

We are committed to diversity and inclusion. We believe that the profession, and our own organisation, does best when it reflects the society we serve. We are focused on promoting a fair opportunity for all. Appointments at ICAEW will always be made on merit. We recognise that we are currently underrepresented in some areas, and we particularly encourage applications from people from ethnic minority backgrounds. If you don’t have previous panel experience, please don’t let that discourage you from applying. We recognise the value that different backgrounds, work and life experience brings and therefore value experience from a range of different career sectors.

Further information