The Hampel Report (UK)

The ‘Hampel Report’ is the shortened name for the Final Report of the Committee on Corporate Governance published by the Committee on Corporate Governance (hereafter called the ‘Hampel Committee’) in 1998 under the chairmanship of Sir Ronald Hampel. The Hampel Report presents an assessment of the extent to which the objectives of best practice recommendations on corporate governance, as detailed in the Cadbury Report and the Greenbury Report, were being achieved by corporates listed on the London Stock Exchange (notably FTSE 100 corporations). In addition to this, it also provides further recommendations to public listed corporations on methods of providing enhanced protection to their shareholders and advises shareholders on how to strengthen their voice in investee corporations. The report establishes a set of principles of best practice in corporate governance, many of which persist in the present-day UK Corporate Governance Code. This chapter begins by setting the background to the report. Next the findings of the committee, its recommendations and the principles of the report are reviewed. Finally, the significance and effectiveness of the Hampel Report is evaluated.