Standards
Independence
Status
Public

Independence
and ethics.

Our position, the boundary we hold, and the commitments we work to.

§ A · Our position

No stake
in the answer.

Meridian is a consultancy, not a broker. We advise; we do not transact in what we assess.

Independent assurance is only worth having if the adviser has no stake in the answer. Meridian advises regulated firms on their compliance and supply-chain systems and builds the evidence behind them. We do not arrange, facilitate or profit from the transactions we examine. That separation is not negotiable.

§ B · The boundary we hold

What falls
outside our role.

Four things fall outside our role:

  • We do not broker, arrange or facilitate transactions. We are never a party to the deal.
  • We do not classify goods or opine on licensability. Those determinations rest with the client, counsel or the regulator.
  • We do not certify. We align to recognised standards; we do not issue certificates against them.
  • We do not give legal advice. Questions of law route to counsel.
Why the boundary protects you

An adviser who also transacts, classifies or certifies has an interest in the conclusion. We do none of these. The advice carries no conflict.

§ C · How we conduct the work

Held to
four commitments.

Honesty over comfort. We report what the evidence shows, including what a client may not want to hear. Findings are not softened and uncertainty is not hidden.

Objectivity and independent review. Findings rest on evidence and external reference points, not on the preferences of whoever commissioned the work. Material work is reviewed before delivery by someone who did not produce it.

Confidentiality. Client information is shared only as the engagement requires and held through secure, access-controlled means.

Lawful and legitimate purpose. We accept work only where the purpose is lawful and legitimate. Where an engagement would require us to broker, classify or certify, we decline it.

We have no financial interest in any transaction we examine.