Chatham House Rule

The Chatham House Rule originated at the Royal Institute of International Affairs (also known as "Chatham House") with the aim of guaranteeing anonymity to those speaking within its walls in order that better international relations could be achieved. It is now used throughout the world as an aid to free discussion.

Meetings of the Institute may be held either 'on the record' or under the Chatham House Rule. In the latter case, it may be agreed with the speaker(s) that it would be conducive to free discussion that a given meeting, or part thereof, should be strictly private and thus held under the Chatham House Rule.

It states "When a meeting, or part thereof, is held under the Chatham House Rule, participants are free to use the information received, but neither the identity nor the affiliation of the speaker(s), nor that of any other participant, may be revealed."

The Rule allows people to speak as individuals, and to express views that may not be those of their organizations, and therefore it encourages free discussion. Speakers are then free to speak from their own opinions, without concern for their personal reputation or their official duties and affiliations.

The correct term for this rule is Chatham House Rule (never the plural "rules"), as there is only one rule.

The Chatham House Rule resolves a boundary problem faced by many Communities of practice in that it permits acknowledgement of the community or conversation while protecting the freedom of interaction that's necessary for the community to carry out its conversations.