The purpose of corporate governance is to facilitate effective, entrepreneurial and prudent management that can deliver the long-term success of the company.

A roundup of current and recently concluded corporate governance reviews and inquires

This page lists the key milestones in the development of UK corporate governance beginning with the Cadbury Report. It includes significant reports and reviews, code changes and ICAEW initiatives.

This ICAEW guide provides an overview of directors' duties and responsibilities, including on internal governance, transactions between a company and its directors or shareholders, and corporate administration. It also covers responsibilities in relation to insolvent or financially challenged companies, as well as penalties for breach of directors' responsibilities.

On this page members of the Corporate Governance Community can find more information on the role of chartered accountants who act as non-executive directors

The role that accountants and auditors play in working to mitigate the risk that large commercial organisations face as a result of the Modern Slavery Act's requirement to annually report on the risk of modern slavery in their business and supply chains.

Practical information and guidance for Corporate Governance professionals working on audit committees.

How can boards work better and improve their effectiveness?

Find out more about corporate culture, also known as 'the tone at the top'.

Guidance and considerations for corporate governance professionals on remuneration committees.

The early 1990s saw increasing calls for standards in corporate governance to be raised in the wake of the BCCI and Maxwell cases. Since then, there have been a number of key reports on corporate governance in the UK which you can access through the links on this page.

Codes and reports listed by year of publication

Updated 22 January 2024, The UK Corporate Governance Code (formerly known as the Combined Code) sets out standards of good practice for listed companies on board composition and development, remuneration, shareholder relations, accountability and audit. The code is published by the Financial Reporting Council (FRC).

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act was the most significant legislation to emerge in response to the corporate governance failures at the start of the 21st century.

Shareholder activism in UK quoted companies continues to be an important and topical issue. The context of this research is the investment scene in the UK and within this context over the last two decades it is clear that considerable change has taken place. The research report covers a variety of topics and provides an overview of some of the positive and negative implications of activism.

3 November 2020: Reporting on 2020 will be a challenge. The Financial Reporting Council Lab acknowledges this but also flags opportunities for the development of investor information despite the uncertainty.

Stay up to date with the latest news and developments in corporate governance, which will help you in your work as a corporate governance professional, a member of a board or a non-executive director. Free to join.

Webinars, seminars and more. Reduced rates for all ICAEW Academy CPD courses.

Articles and features published by the Corporate Governance Community

Webinars and other recordings from the Corporate Governance Community.