Archived ethical guidance

• View the current Code of Ethics, along with related material
• View previous versions of the Code (2006–2025) in the ICAEW Digital Archive

Prior to 2006, ethical guidance was published in the Members' Handbook. The material held by the Library has been summarised below. Guidance may also have been reproduced in the accountancy press.

Past versions of the Code of Ethics issued between 2006 and 2025 can be accessed online via the ICAEW Digital Archive.

The Library also holds printed copies of some editions. Full details can be found on the Library catalogue.

The 'Guide to Professional Ethics' was published as Section 1.2 of the Members' Handbook. The Library holds copies of each annual volume, as well as a summary of changes from 1997 to 2006.

The Members’ Handbook was issued as a looseleaf publication between 1983 and 1991 and updated with changes throughout each year, making it more difficult to pinpoint the guidance in place at a particular point in time.

To overcome this difficulty the ICAEW Department of Professional Ethics compiled a set of "reconstructions" of volume 1 of the Handbook (Constitutional, Legal and Ethical) which included the 'Guide to Professional Ethics'.

Each reconstructed volume reproduces the Members' Handbook as it stood for that year, including that years' amendments.

The Library holds a complete set of the reconstructions. Further information on our holdings can be found in the Library catalogue.

During this period, guidance on professional conduct/ethics appeared in Section E (later Section 1.2) of the Members' Handbook. From 1975, a new ‘Ethical Guide for Members' (renamed as the 'Guide to Professional Ethics' in October 1979) was published in the Handbook, replacing the earlier guidance in Section E with effect from 1 January 1976.

Unfortunately, the Members' Handbook was issued as a looseleaf at this time and the editions held by the Library for this period have been updated. The Members' Handbook was reprinted in 1970 (our copy updated to supplement 58, issued on 15 January 1980) and in 1980 (our copy updated to supplement 70, issued in January 1991).

However, it is usually possible to track the changes made during this period by using the updating sheets filed at the back of the handbooks and where necessary cross-referencing these with the accountancy press (such as Accountancy, The Accountant, The Accountants' Magazine and The Institute Newsletter) where significant updates were often reproduced. Sometimes it is sufficient to consult the updating sheets to determine that the guide was unchanged.

In addition to this, the Ethical Guide was reproduced as a separate publication from time to time. It was published in this way in 1975 and 1979.

An article reproducing extracts from the Ethical Guide for Members was also published in The Accountant (7 August 1975) under the title 'Professional Ethics: English ICA Guidance to Members' (pp.164-166).

A reprint of the Members' Handbook was issued in 1961 which included the original contents published in October 1958 consolidated with the supplements numbered 1 (13 November 1958) to 8 (15 December 1960). Section E of the handbook covers professional conduct.

A second volume contains the unfiled updating supplements for the 1961 reprint of the Members' Handbook, covering Supplement 9 (16 August 1961) to Supplement 17 (21 April 1966).

A copy of the Members' Handbook was issued in August 1950 with handwritten updates to the text and a copy of the updates issued in June 1951 and July 1953 inserted at the back of the volume. It includes a section on professional conduct.