Terms and Conditions

You need an account for most activities on our platform. Keep your password somewhere safe because you’re responsible for all activity associated with your account. If you suspect someone else is using your account, let us know by contacting our Team.

You need an account for most activities on our platform, in particular the Academy and Events Registration, including to purchase and access content. When setting up and maintaining your account, you must provide and continue to provide accurate and complete information, including a valid email address. You have complete responsibility for your account and everything that happens on your account, including for any harm or damage (to us or anyone else) caused by someone using your account without your permission. This means you need to be careful with your password. You may not transfer your account to someone else or use someone else’s account. If you contact us to request access to an account, we will not grant you such access unless you can provide us with the information that we need to prove you are the owner of that account. In the event of the death of a user, the account of that user will be closed.

You may not share your account login credentials with anyone else. You are responsible for what happens with your account and the CPA will not intervene in disputes between students who have shared account login credentials. You must notify us immediately upon learning that someone else may be using your account without your permission (or if you suspect any other breach of security) by contacting our Team. We may request some information from you to confirm that you are indeed the owner of your account.

You can terminate your account at any time by contacting the Team. Check our Privacy Policy to see what happens when you terminate your account.

When you enrol in a course, you get a license from us to view it via the CPA Services and no other use. Content should not be transferred or resoled in any way. We generally grant users a lifetime access license, except when we must disable the content because of legal or policy reasons or for enrolments via Subscription Plans.

As a student, when you enrol in a course or other content, whether it’s free or paid content, you are getting a license from the CPA to view the content via the CPA website, and the CPA is the licensor of record. Content is licensed, and not sold, to you. This license does not give you any right to resell the content in any manner (including by sharing account information with a purchaser or illegally downloading the content and sharing it on torrent sites).

In legal, more complete terms, CPA grants you (as a student and a user) a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to access and view the content for which you have paid all required fees, solely for your personal, non-commercial, educational purposes through the Services, in accordance with these Terms and any conditions or restrictions associated with the particular content or feature of our Services. All other uses are expressly prohibited. You may not reproduce, redistribute, transmit, assign, sell, broadcast, rent, share, lend, modify, adapt, edit, create derivative works of, sublicense, or otherwise transfer or use any content unless we give you explicit permission to do so in a written agreement signed by a CPA authorised representative. This also applies to content you can access via any of our APIs.

We generally give a lifetime access license to our students and when they enrol in a course or other content. However, we reserve the right to revoke any license to access and use any content at any point in time in the event where we decide or are obligated to disable access to the content due to legal or policy reasons, for example, if the course you enrolled in or the materials you accessed is the object of a copyright complaint. This lifetime access license does not apply to enrolments via Subscription Plans or to add-on features and services associated with the course or other content you enrol in.

When you make a payment, you agree to use a valid payment method. If you aren’t happy with your content, the CPA offers a 30-day refund or credit for most content purchases.

Any payment made for CPA services, creates a binding agreement to follow the parameters of the service offered and to pay the full fees for it. A student declares that the information supplied on the enrolment form or otherwise in connection with their application is complete and correct and that the giving of false or incomplete information may lead to the refusal of the application or suspension or expulsion from the course (without refund) and/or, as applicable, withdrawal of visa support.

Any course, service, or product available for sale on the CPA website will be clearly displayed on the website and other materials associated with the sale.

3.1 Pricing

The prices of content on the CPA site are determined based on the CPA’s policies or promotional policies. In some instances, the price of content offered on the CPA website may not be the same to all groups and individuals.

We occasionally run promotions and sales for our content, during which certain content is available at discounted prices for a set period. The price applicable to the content will be the price at the time you complete your purchase of the content (at checkout). Any price offered for content may also be different when you are logged into your account from the price available to users who aren’t registered or logged in, because some of our promotions are available only to new users.

All sitting parliamentarians and formal employees of parliaments and legislatures of fully paid-up member branches of the CPA are entitled to access all Academy Courses and other services and products free of charge.

All prices will be listed in GBP (Great British Pounds).

3.2 Payments

You agree to pay the fees for content that you purchase, and you authorize us to charge your debit or credit card or process other means of payment for those fees. The CPA works with payment service providers to offer you the most convenient payment methods in your country and to keep your payment information secure. We may update your payment methods using information provided by our payment service providers. Check out our Privacy Policy for more details.

If you are paying any fee, payment is due immediately by credit or debit card or within 30 days of invoicing.

When you make a purchase, you agree not to use an invalid or unauthorised payment method. If your payment method fails and you still get access to the content you are enrolling in or product you are ordering, you agree to pay us the corresponding fees within thirty (30) days of notification from us. We reserve the right to disable access to any content for which we have not received adequate payment.

3.3 Refunds and Refund Credits

If the content you purchased is not what you were expecting, you can request, within 30 days of your purchase of the content, that CPA apply a refund to your account. This refund option does not apply to Subscription Plan purchases, which are covered in Section 8.4 below. We reserve the right to apply your refund as a refund credit or a refund to your original payment method, at our discretion, depending on capabilities of our payment service providers, the platform from which you purchased your content (website or mobile), and other factors. No refund is due to you if you request it after the 30-day guarantee time limit has passed. However, if the content you previously purchased is disabled for legal or policy reasons, you are entitled to a refund beyond this 30-day limit. The CPA also reserves the right to refund individuals beyond the 30-day limit in cases of suspected or confirmed account fraud.

To request a refund, contact the CPA Team.

If we decide to issue refund credits to your account, they will be automatically applied towards your next content purchase on our website. Refund credits may expire if not used within the specified period and have no cash value, in each case unless otherwise required by applicable law.

At our discretion, if we believe you are abusing our refund policy, such as if you’ve consumed a significant portion of the content that you want to refund or if you’ve previously refunded the content, we reserve the right to deny your refund, restrict you from other future refunds, ban your account, and/or restrict all future use of the Services. If we ban your account or disable your access to the content due to your violation of these Terms, you will not be eligible to receive a refund. Additional information on our refund policy is available here.

3.4 Gift and Promotional Codes

The CPA or our partners may offer gift and promotional codes. Certain codes may be redeemed for gift or promotional credits applied to your CPA account, which then may be used to purchase eligible content on our platform, subject to the terms included with your codes. Other codes may be directly redeemable for specific content.

These codes and credits, as well as any promotional value linked to them, may expire if not used within the period specified in your CPA account. Gift and promotional codes offered by the CPA may not be refunded for cash, unless otherwise specified in the terms included with your codes or as required by applicable law. Gift and promotional codes offered by a partner are subject to that partner’s refund policies. If you have multiple saved credit amounts, the CPA may determine which of your credits to apply to your purchase. Check out any terms included with your codes for more details.

You can only use the CPA website for lawful purposes. You’re responsible for all the content that you post on our platform. You should keep the reviews, questions, posts, courses, and other content you upload in line with the law and respect the intellectual property rights of others. We can ban your account for repeated or major offenses. If you think someone is infringing your copyright on our platform, let us know.

You may not access or use the Services or create an account for unlawful purposes. Your use of the Services and behaviour on our platform must comply with applicable local or national laws or regulations of your country. You are solely responsible for the knowledge of and compliance with such laws and regulations that are applicable to you.

If you are a student, the Services enable you to ask questions to the instructors of courses or other content you are enrolled in, and to post reviews of content.

If we are put on notice that your content violates the law or the rights of others (for example, if it is established that it violates intellectual property or image rights of others, or is about an illegal activity), if we discover that your content or behaviour is unlawful, inappropriate, or objectionable (for example if you impersonate someone else), we may remove your content from our platform. The CPA complies with copyright laws.

The CPA has discretion in enforcing these Terms. We may restrict or terminate your permission to use our platform and Services or ban your account at any time, with or without notice, for any or no reason, including for any violation of these Terms, if you fail to pay any fees when due, for fraudulent chargeback requests, upon the request of law enforcement or government agencies, for extended periods of inactivity, for unexpected technical issues or problems, if we suspect that you engage in fraudulent or illegal activities, or for any other reason in our sole discretion. Upon any such termination we may delete your account and content, and we may prevent you from further access to the platforms and use of our Services. Your content may still be available on the platforms even if your account is terminated or suspended. You agree that we will have no liability to you or any third party for termination of your account, removal of your content, or blocking of your access to our platforms and services.

If a user has published content that infringes your copyright or trademark rights, please let us know. For more details on how to file a copyright or trademark infringement claim with us.

You retain ownership of content you post to our platform. We’re allowed to share your content to anyone through any media, including promoting it via advertising on other websites.

The content you post as a student remains yours. By posting content, you allow the CPA to reuse and share it, but you do not lose any ownership rights you may have over your content.

When you post content, comments, questions, reviews, and when you submit to us ideas and suggestions for new features or improvements, you authorise the CPA to use and share this content with anyone, distribute it and promote it on any platform and in any media, and to make modifications or edits to it as we see fit.

In legal language, by submitting or posting content on or through the website, you grant us a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license (with the right to sublicense) to use, copy, reproduce, process, adapt, modify, publish, transmit, display, and distribute your content (including your name and image) in any and all media or distribution methods (existing now or later developed). This includes making your content available to other companies, organizations, or individuals who partner with the CPA for the syndication, broadcast, distribution, or publication of content on other media, as well as using your content for marketing purposes. You also waive any rights of privacy, publicity, or other rights of a similar nature applicable to all these uses, to the extent permissible under applicable law. You represent and warrant that you have all the rights, power, and authority necessary to authorize us to use any content that you submit. You also agree to all such uses of your content with no compensation paid to you.

It is your responsibility to check that the devise you plan to use to access your account and/or service and/or product is compatible with the minimum specification requirement for operating and/or using our website. This information can be found at www.cpahq.org. You confirm that CPA will not be held responsible for any technical problems encountered following the purchase.

Certain individuals with accounts can potentially use the CPA website to publish content we enable individuals to interact for teaching and learning. Like other platforms where people can post content and interact, some things can go wrong, and you use our site at your own risk.

Our platform model means we do not review or edit the content for legal issues, and we are not in a position to determine the legality of content. We do not exercise any editorial control over the content produced by individuals (other than CPA contractors, staff, and agencies) that is available on the platform and, as such, do not guarantee in any manner the reliability, validity, accuracy, or truthfulness of the content. If you access content, you rely on any information provided by at your own risk.

By using the Services, you may be exposed to content that you consider offensive, or objectionable. The CPA has no responsibility to keep such content from you and no liability for your access or enrolment in any course or other content, to the extent permissible under applicable law. This also applies to any content relating to health and wellness. You acknowledge the inherent risks and dangers in the strenuous nature of these types of content, and by accessing such content you choose to assume those risks voluntarily, including risk of illness, bodily injury, disability, or death. You assume full responsibility for the choices you make before, during, and after your access to the content.

When you interact directly with a student, you must be careful about the types of personal information that you share. We do not control what students do with the information they obtain from other users on the platform. You should not share your email or other personal information about you for your safety.

When you use our Services, you will find links to other websites that we don’t own or control. We are not responsible for the content or any other aspect of these third-party sites, including their collection of information about you. You should also read their terms and conditions and privacy policies.

We own the CPA platform and Services, including the website, present or future apps and services, and things like our logos, API, code, and content created by our employees. You can’t tamper with those or use them without authorisation.

All right, title, and interest in and to the CPA Website and Services, including our website, our existing or future applications, our APIs, databases, and the content our employees or partners submit or provide through our Services (but excluding content provided by students) are and will remain the exclusive property of the CPA and its licensors. Our platforms and services are protected by copyright, trademark, and other laws of the United Kingdom). Nothing gives you a right to use the CPA name or any of the CPA logos, domain names, and other distinctive brand features. Any feedback, comments, or suggestions you may provide regarding the CPA is entirely voluntary and we will be free to use such feedback, comments, or suggestions as we see fit and without any obligation to you.

You may not do any of the following while accessing or using the CPA site:

Access, tamper with, or use non-public areas of the platform (including content storage), the CPA’s computer systems, or the technical delivery systems of the CPA service providers.

Disable, interfere with, or try to circumvent any of the features of the platforms related to security or probe, scan, or test the vulnerability of any of our systems.

Copy, modify, create a derivative work of, reverse engineer, reverse assemble, or otherwise attempt to discover any source code of or content on the CPA’s website.

Access or search or attempt to access or search our platform by any means (automated or otherwise) other than through our currently available search functionalities that are provided via our website, mobile apps, or API (and only pursuant to those API terms and conditions). You may not scrape, spider, use a robot, or use other automated means of any kind to access the Services.

In any way use the Services to send altered, deceptive, or false source-identifying information (such as sending email communications falsely appearing as the CPA); or interfere with, or disrupt, (or attempt to do so), the access of any user, host, or network, including, without limitation, sending a virus, overloading, flooding, spamming, or mail-bombing the platforms or services, or in any other manner interfering with or creating an undue burden on the Services.

This section covers additional terms that apply to your use of our subscription-based collections as a student or user accessing The Parliamentarian (“Subscription Plans”). By using a Subscription Plan, you agree to the additional terms in this section.

8.1 Subscription Plans

During your subscription to a Subscription Plan, you get a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable license from us to access and view the content included in that Subscription Plan via the Services.

8.2 The Parliamentarian: Subscriptions

Your subscription fees are payable to CPA HQ Secretariat in GBP.

To receive print copies of The Parliamentarian you need to select your preferred subscription plan (individual copy or annual subscription). You then need to follow the steps at the checkout and add the subscription to the basket. After entering payment details, you are formally accepting our terms and conditions.

Depending on which option you choose (individual copy or annual subscription) charges will vary. You can place your order directly on our website and pay by debit or with credit card. You will be asked for your card details at the checkout where you can pay securely. Your order will then take 48 hours to be completed.

For annual subscriptions – the CPA HQ Secretariat will continue to take payment annually until the subscriber fully cancels the subscription. You will be sent email reminders 1 week before payment is due.

If payment fails a notification email is sent to the purchaser. We will then try to take payment again after 3 days, if it fails again, we will attempt after 5 days. Finally, if it still fails after 7 days the subscription will be cancelled and print copies will no longer be sent. As soon as payment is received the service will be made active again.

If prices increase for individual copies or for annual subscriptions, subscribers will be notified in advance of their renewal payment.

The subscription will automatically renew unless we are notified otherwise.

If a subscriber decides to cancel/pause their subscription they can do this online via their account or get in touch with our communications team via email communications@cpahq.org. If a subscriber decides to upgrade or downgrade the subscription, they need to get in touch with our communications team via email communications@cpahq.org.

Subscribers are responsible for managing their subscription account with the CPA. The subscription that you purchase or renew determines the scope, features, and price of your access to a Subscription Plan. You may not transfer, assign, or share your subscription with anyone else.

We reserve the right to revoke any license to use the content in our Subscription Plans for legal or policy reasons at any time and at our sole discretion, such as if we no longer have the right to offer the content through a Subscription Plan. Additional information on our right to revoke is included in the “Content Enrolment and Lifetime Access” section.

8.3 Account Management

You may cancel your subscription by contacting the team. If you cancel your subscription to a Subscription Plan, your access to that Subscription Plan will automatically end on the date agreed by the CPA. On cancellation, you will not be entitled to receive a refund or credit of any fees already paid for your subscription, unless otherwise required by applicable law. For clarity, cancellation of a subscription does not terminate your CPA account.

8.4 Payments and Billing

The subscription fee will be listed at the time of your purchase. Subscriptions may be set for specific time periods, such as monthly, quarterly, or annually. Payments are non-refundable and there are no refunds or credits for partially used periods, unless otherwise required by applicable law. Depending on where you are located, you may qualify for a refund.

To subscribe to a Subscription Plan, you must provide a payment method. By subscribing to a Subscription Plan and providing your billing information, you grant us and our payment service providers the right to process payment for the then-applicable fees via the payment method we have on record for you. At the end of each subscription term, we will automatically renew your subscription for the same length of term and process your payment method for payment of the then-applicable fees.

In the event that we update your payment method using information provided by our payment service providers (as described in the “Payments, Credits, and Refunds” section above), you authorise us to continue to charge the then-applicable fees to your updated payment method.

If we are unable to process payment through the payment method we have on file for you, or if you file a chargeback disputing charges made to your payment method and the chargeback is granted, we may suspend or terminate your subscription.

We reserve the right to change our Subscription Plans or adjust pricing for our Services at our sole discretion. Any price changes or changes to your subscription will take effect following notice to you, except as otherwise required by applicable law.

8.5 Subscription Disclaimers

We make no guarantees as to the availability of any specific content in any Subscription Plan or as to any minimum amount of content in any Subscription Plan. At any point in the future, we reserve the right to offer or cease to offer additional features to any Subscription Plan, or to otherwise modify or terminate a Subscription Plan at our sole discretion. These disclaimers are in addition to those listed in the “Disclaimers” section below.

Consumers who purchase books or other CPA merchandise from the CPA have the right to cancel contracts for the purchase of items within 14 days of the day after receipt of the ordered goods. To organise a refund of goods purchased, please return your item to us by post. Unwanted items should preferably be returned in their original packaging or otherwise adequately packaged and returned as soon as reasonably practicable.

The return is at your own risk and at your own cost and we will not refund your costs in returning the item to us and other services provided to you in connection with the purchase such as recorded or courier delivery. Include the reason for your return, your order number and your email address or telephone number. We may withhold refund until the item(s) are returned (or evidence of return is provided by you).

This cancellation policy does not affect your legal rights - for example, if goods are faulty or misdescribed.

You should inspect any product(s) you purchase from the website as soon as you can after delivery and notify us if you consider they are defective as soon as possible. If a product is incorrect, faulty, or defective you are entitled to either:

During the first 14 days after the delivery date, you can ask us to reimburse the price paid for the relevant product(s) to the credit or debit card used to purchase the goods or replace the item.

If you are sending something back that's faulty or incorrect due to our error, we will refund the return postage costs to your payment card, but not in other circumstances.

These Terms are like any other contract, and they have important legal terms that protect us from the countless things that could happen and that clarify the legal relationship between us and you.

10.1 Binding Agreement

You agree that by registering, accessing, or using our Services, you are agreeing to enter into a legally binding contract with the CPA. If you do not agree to these Terms, do not register, access, or otherwise use any of our Services.

These Terms (including any agreements and policies linked from these Terms) constitute the entire agreement between you and us.

If any part of these Terms is found to be invalid or unenforceable by applicable law, then that provision will be deemed superseded by a valid, enforceable provision that most closely matches the intent of the original provision and the remainder of these Terms will continue in effect.

Even if we are delayed in exercising our rights or fail to exercise a right in one case, it doesn’t mean we waive our rights under these Terms, and we may decide to enforce them in the future. If we decide to waive any of our rights in a particular instance, it doesn’t mean we waive our rights generally or in the future.

The following sections shall survive the expiration or termination of these Terms: Sections 2 (Content Enrolment and Lifetime Access), 5 (CPA’s Rights to Content You Post), 6 (Using the CPA website at Your Own Risk), 7 (CPA’s Rights), 8.4 (Subscription Disclaimers), 9 (Miscellaneous Legal Terms), and 10 (Dispute Resolution).

10.2 Disclaimers

It may happen that our platform is down, either for planned maintenance or because something goes down with the site. It may also happen that we encounter security issues. These are just examples. You accept that you will not have any recourse against us in any of these types of cases where things don’t work out right. In legal, more complete language, the Services and their content are provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis. We (and our affiliates, suppliers, partners, and agents) make no representations or warranties about the suitability, reliability, availability, timeliness, security, lack of errors, or accuracy of the Services or their content, and expressly disclaim any warranties or conditions (express or implied), including implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, title, and non-infringement. We (and our affiliates, suppliers, partners, and agents) make no warranty that you will obtain specific results from use of the Services. Your use of the Services (including any content) is entirely at your own risk. Some jurisdictions don’t allow the exclusion of implied warranties, so some of the above exclusions may not apply to you.

We may decide to cease making available certain features of the Services at any time and for any reason. Under no circumstances will the CPA or its affiliates, suppliers, partners, or agents be held liable for any damages due to such interruptions or lack of availability of such features.

We are not responsible for delay or failure of our performance of any of the Services caused by events beyond our reasonable control, like an act of war, hostility, or sabotage; natural disaster; electrical, internet, or telecommunication outage; or government restrictions.

10.3 Limitation of Liability

There are risks inherent to using our Services. You fully accept these risks, and you agree that you will have no recourse to seek damages against even if you suffer loss or damage from using our platform and Services. In legal, more complete language, to the extent permitted by law, we (and our agents) will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, punitive, or consequential damages (including loss of data, revenue, profits, or business opportunities, or personal injury or death), whether arising in contract, warranty, tort, product liability, or otherwise, and even if we’ve been advised of the possibility of damages in advance. Some jurisdictions don’t allow the exclusion or limitation of liability for consequential or incidental damages, so some of the above may not apply to you.

10.4 Indemnification

If you behave in a way that is illegal or breaches any law, we may exercise legal recourse against you. You agree to indemnify, defend (if we so request), and hold harmless the CPA, our officers, directors, suppliers, partners, and agents from an against any third-party claims, demands, losses, damages, or expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising from (a) the content you post or submit, (b) your use of the Services (c) your violation of these Terms, or (d) your violation of any rights of a third party. Your indemnification obligation will survive the termination of these Terms and your use of the Services.

10.5 Governing Law and Jurisdiction

When these Terms mention “the CPA” they’re referring to the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, and in particular the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association’s International Headquarters Secretariat entity that you’re contracting with. If you’re a student, individual or entity accessing our system, this contract will be governed under the laws of the United Kingdom.

10.6 Legal Actions and Notices

No action, regardless of form, arising out of or relating to this Agreement may be brought by either party more than one (1) year after the cause of action has accrued, except where this limitation cannot be imposed by law.

Any notice or other communication to be given hereunder will be in writing and given by registered or certified mail return receipt requested, or email (by us to the email associated with your account or by you to hq.sec@cpahq.org).

10.7 Relationship Between Us

You and we agree that no joint venture, partnership, employment, contractor, or agency relationship exists between us.

10.8 No Assignment

You may not assign or transfer these Terms (or the rights and licenses granted under them). For example, if you registered an account as an employee of an organisation, your account cannot be transferred to another employee or individual associated with that organisation). We may assign these Terms (or the rights and licenses granted under them) to another company or person without restriction. Nothing in these Terms confers any right, benefit, or remedy on any third-party person or entity. You agree that your account is non-transferable and that all rights to your account and other rights under these Terms terminate upon your death.

If there’s a dispute, our Team is happy to help resolve the issue. Most disputes can be resolved, so before bringing a formal legal case, please first try contacting our Support Team.

11.2 Going to Arbitration

If we can’t resolve our dispute amicably, you and the CPA agree to resolve any claims related to these Terms (or our other legal terms) through final and binding arbitration, regardless of the type of claim or legal theory. If one of us brings a claim in court that should be arbitrated and the other party refuses to arbitrate it, the other party can ask a court to force us both to go to arbitration (compel arbitration). Either of us can also ask a court to halt a court proceeding while an arbitration proceeding is ongoing.

The CPA Headquarters Secretariat is committed to, and recognises the value of, maintaining environments of mutual respect, courtesy and dignity at all its events and programmes. 

To read our respect policy or report inappropriate behaviour at a CPA event or activity, click here.

From time to time, we may update these Terms to clarify our practices or to reflect new or different practices (such as when we add new features), and the CPA reserves the right in its sole discretion to modify and/or make changes to these Terms at any time. If we make any material change, we will notify you using prominent means, such as by email notice sent to the email address specified in your account or by posting a notice through our Services. Modifications will become effective on the day they are posted unless stated otherwise.

Your continued use of our Services after changes become effective shall mean that you accept those changes. Any revised Terms shall supersede all previous Terms.

The best way to get in touch with us is to contact our Team here or via the details below:

CPA Headquarters International Secretariat
Richmond House
Houses of Parliament
London, SW1A 0AA, United Kingdom
T: +44 (0)20 7799 1460 (CPA switchboard)
E: hq.sec@cpahq.org OR communications@cpahq.org

We’d love to hear your questions, concerns, and feedback about our Services.