Will a criminal record affect a nomination for Knighthood?
A criminal record will not prevent a person from being considered for a knighthood, so long as there is no outstanding issue.
Demonstrating how the nominee has turned their life around and used their experience in a positive way to help others can in fact make a great nomination, and there are many examples of people who have achieved this result despite a difficult time in their life.
Everyone has a unique story to tell in their nomination, so the best thing to do if you are considering an honour is get in touch for your confidential assessment and we will make sure you tick all the boxes for a King’s honour nomination.
One of the most inspirational stories from a recent Honours List is the tale of Justice Williams, a social entrepreneur from Birmingham.
In 2010, at just 29 years of age, she was the youngest black woman to receive an MBE. But her journey to The Palace was by no means an easy ride:
A 15-day prison sentence for theft had previously ended any hope she had of pursuing a career in the legal profession. But her experience inside inspired her to enter voluntary work, and from there, she has gone on to achieve great things.
She started Tru Life, an urban street lifestyle magazine for young women. The magazine enables young people to get media experience and get published. Justice says “It’s about women that other women get inspiration from, women who have worked hard to climb the career ladder or start their own business – positive role models.”
Whilst time in the prison sense may not be of the essence in the assessment of Queen’s honours nominees, time in the temporal sense, most certainly is of the essence when it comes to getting a nomination in the queue for consideration.
At present it takes an estimated 12 to 18 months to be considered, and the nominee must still be active at the time of the nomination. So if there is someone you would like to nominate, you really should act now!