Review of the role and effectiveness of non-executive directors

Review of the role and effectiveness of non-executive directors

"Review of the role and effectiveness of non-executive directors" (or the "Higgs review") was a report chaired by Derek Higgs on corporate governance commissioned by the UK government, published on 20 January 2003. It reviewed of the role and effectiveness of non-executive directors and of the audit committee, aiming at improving and strengthening the existing Combined Code. [cite web
last =Higgs
first = Derek
url = http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file23012.pdf
title = Review of the role and effectiveness of non-executive directors
publisher = Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
date = 2003-01-20|accessdaymonth = 28 April|accessyear = 2008|] [cite web
title = The Higgs Review
url = http://www.berr.gov.uk/bbf/corp-governance/higgs-tyson/page23342.html
publisher = Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
accessdaymonth = 28 April|accessyear = 2008|]

There was widespread unrest after the scandals in the US, involving Enron, WorldCom and Tyco. The US opted for legislation under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.

Higgs strongly backed the existing non-prescriptive approach to corporate governance: "comply or explain". Yet he advocated more provisions with more more stringent criteria for the board composition and evaluation of independent directors. He wanted to remove some of the discretion that the Code allowed.

Higgs viewed the earlier scandals, which led to the Cadbury Report could have been avoided had a Code been in place. The Robert Maxwell debacle could have been avoided in his view because many firms already refused to deal with him, and disclosure of his company's governance practices would have led to more pressure for change.

ee also

* Combined Code
* Cadbury Report (1992)
* Greenbury Report (1995)
* Hampel Report (1998)
* Turnbull Report
* Smith Report (2003)

References

External links

* The Higgs report DBERR [http://www.berr.gov.uk/bbf/corp-governance/higgs-tyson/page23342.html website] and [http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file23012.pdf pdf]

* [http://www.frc.org.uk/documents/pagemanager/frc/Combined%20Code%20June%202006.pdf Full text of the combined code 2006]
* [http://www.fsa.gov.uk/pubs/ukla/lr_comcode2003.pdf Full text of the combined code 2003]

* The Financial Services Authority Listing Rules [http://fsahandbook.info/FSA/html/handbook/LR online] and in [http://fsahandbook.info/FSA//handbook/LR.pdf pdf format] , under which there is an obligation to comply with the Combined Code, or explain why it is not complied with, under LR 9.8.6(6).

* The Financial Reporting Council's [http://www.frc.org.uk/index.cfm website]


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