Misconduct in Public Office:Terms of use - Revision history

Mark: Fix accidental preformatted-text rendering from leading whitespace

2026-09-25T23:16:03Z

Fix accidental preformatted-text rendering from leading whitespace

Mark: Import terms of use

2026-09-25T17:22:39Z

Import terms of use

New page

''Last revised 25 May 2026. These terms govern use of misconductinpublicoffice.org
("the site"). By using the site, by submitting material to the campaign, or by
editing the wiki, you agree to these terms.''

== Summary ==

* Content on the site is published under a Creative Commons licence, with
exceptions identified below.
* The site provides journalism and public-interest documentation, not legal
advice. Nothing on it creates a solicitor-client or any other professional
relationship.
* You may use the site freely as a reader.
* If you submit material to the campaign, you grant us the right to use it
for editorial purposes within the limits we set out.
* If you edit the wiki (with editor permissions), additional terms apply.
* Your statutory and common-law rights are unaffected by these terms.

== About the site ==

The site is operated by the editor identified at [[Project:About]] as an
independent campaign and accountability archive. It is not a law firm, a
regulator, or a public body. It does not provide legal services. The editor
is, at the date of this policy, a litigant in person in proceedings referenced
on the site.

== No legal advice ==

Nothing published on the site, and no correspondence with the editor through
the site or its associated channels, constitutes legal advice or creates a
solicitor-client relationship.

Specifically:

* The law-explainer pages at [[Law of misconduct in public office]] and
related pages set out general information about the offence of misconduct in
public office and connected legal topics. They do not advise you on your
own circumstances.
* The case-file pages set out the procedural history of specific litigation.
They are not a guide to bringing your own proceedings.
* Correspondence with the editor about a matter is correspondence with a
campaigner, not legal advice. The editor is a litigant in person and is not
qualified to give legal advice. The editor will not give legal advice.

If you have a legal question concerning your own affairs, you should consult a
solicitor or barrister, the Citizens Advice service, or a relevant law centre.
For matters of misconduct in public office specifically, the Crown Prosecution
Service and the police have statutory roles; for prosecutorial decisions, the
DPP's office is the relevant point of contact.

== Content licensing ==

=== Content created by the campaign ===

Editorial content created by the campaign and published on the site is licensed
under the [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ Creative Commons
Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International licence] ("CC BY-SA 4.0"). You are
free to:

* '''Share''' — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format.
* '''Adapt''' — remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose,
including commercially.

Under the following terms:

* '''Attribution''' — you must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the
licence, and indicate if changes were made.
* '''ShareAlike''' — if you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you
must distribute your contributions under the same licence.
* '''No additional restrictions''' — you may not apply legal terms or
technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the
licence permits.

=== Court documents and reproduced public documents ===

Court documents, council papers, statutory instruments, and other public
documents reproduced on the site retain whatever licensing or status they have
in their original form. Most fall within Crown copyright with open licensing
under the Open Government Licence, or within fair dealing for reporting of
current events. Reproduction on this site does not place such documents under
CC BY-SA; they remain governed by their original terms.

=== Verbatim responses under the right-of-reply policy ===

Responses submitted by named persons under the right-of-reply policy are
reproduced verbatim. The author of the response retains copyright in their
own words. Publication on the site is made under an implied licence sufficient
to permit reproduction for the purposes for which the response was submitted —
namely publication on the page that names the author and continued retention
as part of the editorial audit record.

=== Third-party material ===

Where third-party material appears on the site (for example, a quotation from
a published article, a screenshot of a public document, an image with
identified provenance), it appears under fair dealing for the purposes of
criticism, review, or news reporting under sections 30 and 30A of the Copyright,
Designs and Patents Act 1988. Sufficient attribution is given to identify the
work and its author. Where a rights-holder considers the use exceeds fair
dealing, they should make a complaint under the [[Project:Complaints and
takedown policy|complaints and takedown policy]].

== Submitting material to the campaign ==

When you submit material to the campaign — through the contact form, by email,
by post, or by any other channel — the following terms apply.

=== Submissions are not published automatically ===

Material you submit is received privately by the editor. Nothing you submit is
published unless and until the editor decides to publish it. The decision to
publish is an editorial decision based on news values, the public interest,
verification, and legal considerations.

=== Licensing of submitted material ===

By submitting material to the campaign, you grant the campaign a non-exclusive,
royalty-free, perpetual, worldwide licence to:

# Receive and store the material as part of the editorial process.
# Use the material as the basis for editorial decisions, including by
referring to it in correspondence with other sources, with subjects of
coverage exercising their right of reply, and with regulators.
# Where the editor decides to publish the material, publish it in whole or in
part with appropriate context.

You retain ownership and copyright in your material. The licence you grant is
not exclusive — you remain free to publish the same material yourself, to
provide it to other parties, or otherwise to deal with it as you see fit. The
licence does not transfer ownership.

=== Confidentiality of sources ===

Where you have identified yourself as a confidential source, the editor will
not voluntarily disclose your identity to any third party. The campaign
maintains a journalistic-privilege posture in respect of source-identifying
material. See the [[Project:Privacy policy|privacy policy]] for further detail.

=== Warranties from submitters ===

By submitting material, you warrant that:

* You have the right to share the material with the campaign and to grant the
licence described above.
* The material does not infringe the copyright or other rights of any third
party.
* You have not been deceived as to the material's origin or significance by
any party who provided it to you.
* You are not seeking to use the campaign to publish material that is
defamatory of any person, or for any purpose contrary to law.

You do not warrant that the material is true. You may submit material whose
truth is in question; the editor will assess it.

=== Material we will not act on ===

We will not act on material that:

* Was obtained through unlawful intrusion into private communications.
* Has been provided in breach of a court order, contempt of court, or breach
of a non-disclosure order, where compliance with the order is the relevant
legal duty rather than mere inconvenience to the provider.
* Concerns matters wholly outside our editorial scope.

This is not a guarantee. We assess submissions on their merits.

== Use of the site as a reader ==

You may use the site freely as a reader. You may quote, share, and link to
content in accordance with the licensing terms above. We ask that you:

* Quote accurately and in context.
* Where you reproduce substantial content, attribute it and link to the
source page on the site.
* Where you criticise content, engage with what we have actually said rather
than with a parody of it.

These are courtesies, not legal requirements.

== Editing the wiki ==

The wiki is editable only by users with editor permissions, granted by the
editor on a case-by-case basis. If you become an editor, the following
additional terms apply:

# Your editing is subject to the [[Project:Editorial policy|editorial policy]].
# Edits inconsistent with that policy may be reverted.
# You agree that your contributions are licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
# You agree to identify yourself by an account name with a reasonable degree
of consistency, and to follow the campaign's discussion conventions.
# Sustained breach of editorial policy may result in revocation of editing
permissions.

== Prohibited uses ==

You may not use the site to:

* Submit material with the intention of misleading the campaign or its
readers.
* Attempt to impersonate the editor, a contributor, or a subject of coverage.
* Use automated means to scrape or harvest content at a rate inconsistent
with normal reading. (Reasonable indexing by search engines is permitted.)
* Attempt to compromise the security of the site or its associated systems.
* Engage in conduct unlawful under English law.

== Disclaimer and limitation of liability ==

The site is provided as a public-interest resource, in good faith, with such
editorial care as the editor can reasonably apply. To the extent permitted by
law:

* The site does not warrant that content is free of errors, that the site
will be available continuously, or that any specific outcome will follow
from use of the site.
* Liability for any indirect, consequential, or special loss arising from use
of the site is excluded.

Nothing in this disclaimer:

* Excludes or limits liability for death or personal injury caused by
negligence.
* Excludes or limits liability for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation.
* Excludes or limits any liability which cannot lawfully be excluded.

Your statutory and common-law rights are unaffected by these terms.

== Governing law and jurisdiction ==

These terms are governed by the law of England and Wales. The courts of
England and Wales have non-exclusive jurisdiction over any dispute arising
out of or in connection with these terms or the site.

== Changes to these terms ==

We will update these terms when the operation of the site changes, when the
legal regime changes, or when we identify drafting that can be improved.
Material changes will be flagged at the top of the page and a record of
revisions is maintained in the page history. Use of the site following such
a change constitutes acceptance of the revised terms.

== Contact ==

For questions about these terms: <code>editor@misconductinpublicoffice.org</code>.

[[Category:Policies]]
[[Category:Editorial standards]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:16, 25 September 2026
Line 6:		Line 6:

	* Content on the site is published under a Creative Commons licence, with		* Content on the site is published under a Creative Commons licence, with
	exceptions identified below.		exceptions identified below.
	* The site provides journalism and public-interest documentation, not legal		* The site provides journalism and public-interest documentation, not legal
	advice. Nothing on it creates a solicitor-client or any other professional		advice. Nothing on it creates a solicitor-client or any other professional
	relationship.		relationship.
	* You may use the site freely as a reader.		* You may use the site freely as a reader.
	* If you submit material to the campaign, you grant us the right to use it		* If you submit material to the campaign, you grant us the right to use it
	for editorial purposes within the limits we set out.		for editorial purposes within the limits we set out.
	* If you edit the wiki (with editor permissions), additional terms apply.		* If you edit the wiki (with editor permissions), additional terms apply.
	* Your statutory and common-law rights are unaffected by these terms.		* Your statutory and common-law rights are unaffected by these terms.
Line 33:		Line 33:

	* The law-explainer pages at [[Law of misconduct in public office]] and		* The law-explainer pages at [[Law of misconduct in public office]] and
	related pages set out general information about the offence of misconduct in		related pages set out general information about the offence of misconduct in
	public office and connected legal topics. They do not advise you on your		public office and connected legal topics. They do not advise you on your
	own circumstances.		own circumstances.
	* The case-file pages set out the procedural history of specific litigation.		* The case-file pages set out the procedural history of specific litigation.
	They are not a guide to bringing your own proceedings.		They are not a guide to bringing your own proceedings.
	* Correspondence with the editor about a matter is correspondence with a		* Correspondence with the editor about a matter is correspondence with a
	campaigner, not legal advice. The editor is a litigant in person and is not		campaigner, not legal advice. The editor is a litigant in person and is not
	qualified to give legal advice. The editor will not give legal advice.		qualified to give legal advice. The editor will not give legal advice.

	If you have a legal question concerning your own affairs, you should consult a		If you have a legal question concerning your own affairs, you should consult a
Line 59:		Line 59:
	* '''Share''' — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format.		* '''Share''' — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format.
	* '''Adapt''' — remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose,		* '''Adapt''' — remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose,
	including commercially.		including commercially.

	Under the following terms:		Under the following terms:

	* '''Attribution''' — you must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the		* '''Attribution''' — you must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the
	licence, and indicate if changes were made.		licence, and indicate if changes were made.
	* '''ShareAlike''' — if you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you		* '''ShareAlike''' — if you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you
	must distribute your contributions under the same licence.		must distribute your contributions under the same licence.
	* '''No additional restrictions''' — you may not apply legal terms or		* '''No additional restrictions''' — you may not apply legal terms or
	technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the		technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the
	licence permits.		licence permits.

	=== Court documents and reproduced public documents ===		=== Court documents and reproduced public documents ===
Line 119:		Line 119:
	# Receive and store the material as part of the editorial process.		# Receive and store the material as part of the editorial process.
	# Use the material as the basis for editorial decisions, including by		# Use the material as the basis for editorial decisions, including by
	referring to it in correspondence with other sources, with subjects of		referring to it in correspondence with other sources, with subjects of
	coverage exercising their right of reply, and with regulators.		coverage exercising their right of reply, and with regulators.
	# Where the editor decides to publish the material, publish it in whole or in		# Where the editor decides to publish the material, publish it in whole or in
	part with appropriate context.		part with appropriate context.

	You retain ownership and copyright in your material. The licence you grant is		You retain ownership and copyright in your material. The licence you grant is
Line 141:		Line 141:

	* You have the right to share the material with the campaign and to grant the		* You have the right to share the material with the campaign and to grant the
	licence described above.		licence described above.
	* The material does not infringe the copyright or other rights of any third		* The material does not infringe the copyright or other rights of any third
	party.		party.
	* You have not been deceived as to the material's origin or significance by		* You have not been deceived as to the material's origin or significance by
	any party who provided it to you.		any party who provided it to you.
	* You are not seeking to use the campaign to publish material that is		* You are not seeking to use the campaign to publish material that is
	defamatory of any person, or for any purpose contrary to law.		defamatory of any person, or for any purpose contrary to law.

	You do not warrant that the material is true. You may submit material whose		You do not warrant that the material is true. You may submit material whose
Line 158:		Line 158:
	* Was obtained through unlawful intrusion into private communications.		* Was obtained through unlawful intrusion into private communications.
	* Has been provided in breach of a court order, contempt of court, or breach		* Has been provided in breach of a court order, contempt of court, or breach
	of a non-disclosure order, where compliance with the order is the relevant		of a non-disclosure order, where compliance with the order is the relevant
	legal duty rather than mere inconvenience to the provider.		legal duty rather than mere inconvenience to the provider.
	* Concerns matters wholly outside our editorial scope.		* Concerns matters wholly outside our editorial scope.

Line 171:		Line 171:
	* Quote accurately and in context.		* Quote accurately and in context.
	* Where you reproduce substantial content, attribute it and link to the		* Where you reproduce substantial content, attribute it and link to the
	source page on the site.		source page on the site.
	* Where you criticise content, engage with what we have actually said rather		* Where you criticise content, engage with what we have actually said rather
	than with a parody of it.		than with a parody of it.

	These are courtesies, not legal requirements.		These are courtesies, not legal requirements.
Line 187:		Line 187:
	# You agree that your contributions are licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.		# You agree that your contributions are licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
	# You agree to identify yourself by an account name with a reasonable degree		# You agree to identify yourself by an account name with a reasonable degree
	of consistency, and to follow the campaign's discussion conventions.		of consistency, and to follow the campaign's discussion conventions.
	# Sustained breach of editorial policy may result in revocation of editing		# Sustained breach of editorial policy may result in revocation of editing
	permissions.		permissions.

	== Prohibited uses ==		== Prohibited uses ==
Line 196:		Line 196:

	* Submit material with the intention of misleading the campaign or its		* Submit material with the intention of misleading the campaign or its
	readers.		readers.
	* Attempt to impersonate the editor, a contributor, or a subject of coverage.		* Attempt to impersonate the editor, a contributor, or a subject of coverage.
	* Use automated means to scrape or harvest content at a rate inconsistent		* Use automated means to scrape or harvest content at a rate inconsistent
	with normal reading. (Reasonable indexing by search engines is permitted.)		with normal reading. (Reasonable indexing by search engines is permitted.)
	* Attempt to compromise the security of the site or its associated systems.		* Attempt to compromise the security of the site or its associated systems.
	* Engage in conduct unlawful under English law.		* Engage in conduct unlawful under English law.
Line 210:		Line 210:

	* The site does not warrant that content is free of errors, that the site		* The site does not warrant that content is free of errors, that the site
	will be available continuously, or that any specific outcome will follow		will be available continuously, or that any specific outcome will follow
	from use of the site.		from use of the site.
	* Liability for any indirect, consequential, or special loss arising from use		* Liability for any indirect, consequential, or special loss arising from use
	of the site is excluded.		of the site is excluded.

	Nothing in this disclaimer:		Nothing in this disclaimer:

	* Excludes or limits liability for death or personal injury caused by		* Excludes or limits liability for death or personal injury caused by
	negligence.		negligence.
	* Excludes or limits liability for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation.		* Excludes or limits liability for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation.
	* Excludes or limits any liability which cannot lawfully be excluded.		* Excludes or limits any liability which cannot lawfully be excluded.