The honours system should not be abolished despite recent removals of recognition from individuals convicted of serious crimes, an Oxford city councillor has said.

The monarchy exercised its authority last year when King Charles cancelled an Order of the British Empire award granted to a London-born composer who had developed an international reputation in classical music.

An official notice published in The London Gazette on 1 August 2025 confirmed the instrument of the honour had been formally annulled and the recipient’s name removed from the official register.

Jan Latham-Koenig had established himself as a conductor of considerable standing, holding positions with prestigious orchestras and opera companies.

His work included performances with the London Philharmonic and Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

The accolades he accumulated over his career encompassed a fellowship from the Gulbenkian Foundation and a significant Russian theatre prize received in 2014 for his staging of Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde.

His contribution to Anglo-Russian cultural exchange was recognised when he received his OBE in the 2020 Birthday Honours list.

The composer faced criminal proceedings in 2024 after admitting multiple child sex offences at Southwark Crown Court.

The court heard that he had communicated sexually explicit material to an officer conducting an online investigation, with the officer having posed as a minor.

A suspended prison sentence was imposed following the guilty pleas.

A separate case involved former Scotland rugby captain Stuart Hogg, who was prohibited from contacting his estranged wife for five years after being convicted of domestic abuse in January last year.

Sheriff Peter Paterson at Selkirk Sheriff Court imposed a community payback order requiring supervision for a year.

The 33-year-old, who earned a century of international caps, had additionally been subject to a non-harassment order.

Police attended his home on 12 February this year following reports of a breach, though no charges were subsequently brought.

Oxford city councillor Susanna Pressel offered her perspective on the withdrawal of honours in each instance.

She expressed approval that recognition was being rescinded in cases where recipients had committed serious wrongdoing.

However, she advocated for preserving the honours system itself, noting that the vast majority of those receiving such distinctions had earned them through commendable public service.

Her remarks suggested difficulty in anticipating which individuals might later behave inappropriately, while acknowledging that no system could entirely prevent such occurrences.