diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index e3edb60..32a6849 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+## 1.1.1 (September 22nd, 2023)
+
+- added null checks
+
 ## 1.1.0 (September 20th, 2023)
 
 - made all fields optionals in proto files
diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index 2e16903..4961de1 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 {
   "name": "@restorecommerce/access-control-srv",
-  "version": "1.1.0",
+  "version": "1.1.1",
   "lockfileVersion": 2,
   "requires": true,
   "packages": {
     "": {
       "name": "@restorecommerce/access-control-srv",
-      "version": "1.1.0",
+      "version": "1.1.1",
       "license": "MIT",
       "dependencies": {
         "@restorecommerce/acs-client": "^1.1.17",
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index adc0ffb..8930ac2 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@restorecommerce/access-control-srv",
-  "version": "1.1.0",
+  "version": "1.1.1",
   "description": "Access Control Service",
   "main": "lib/start.js",
   "author": "n-fuse GmbH",
diff --git a/src/core/accessController.ts b/src/core/accessController.ts
index 0fd36aa..e0dc5c0 100644
--- a/src/core/accessController.ts
+++ b/src/core/accessController.ts
@@ -248,14 +248,14 @@ export class AccessController {
                 }
               }
 
-              if (ruleEffects.length > 0) {
+              if (ruleEffects?.length > 0) {
                 policyEffects.push(this.decide(policy.combining_algorithm, ruleEffects));
               }
             }
           }
         }
 
-        if (policyEffects.length > 0) {
+        if (policyEffects?.length > 0) {
           effect = this.decide(policySet.combining_algorithm, policyEffects);
         }
       }
@@ -329,7 +329,7 @@ export class AccessController {
         // if there are multiple entities in the request.target.resources
         // and if exactMatch is true, then check again with the resourcesAttributeMatch providing one entity each time
         // to ensure there is an exact policy entity match for each of the requested entity
-        if (request?.target?.resources.length > 0 && exactMatch) {
+        if (request?.target?.resources?.length > 0 && exactMatch) {
           let noOfEntities = 0;
           const entityURN = this.urns.get('entity');
           for (let resourceAttribute of request.target.resources) {
@@ -498,7 +498,7 @@ export class AccessController {
             let nsEntityArray = pattern?.split('.');
             // firstElement could be either entity or namespace
             let nsOrEntity = nsEntityArray[0];
-            let entityRegexValue = nsEntityArray[nsEntityArray.length - 1];
+            let entityRegexValue = nsEntityArray[nsEntityArray?.length - 1];
             let reqNS, ruleNS;
             if (nsOrEntity?.toUpperCase() != entityRegexValue?.toUpperCase()) {
               // rule name space is present
@@ -819,7 +819,7 @@ export class AccessController {
         });
         // check in role_associations
         const userRoleAssocs = context?.subject?.role_associations;
-        if (userRoleAssocs.length > 0) {
+        if (userRoleAssocs?.length > 0) {
           for (let role of userRoleAssocs) {
             const roleID = role?.role;
             for (let obj of role.attributes || []) {
@@ -839,7 +839,7 @@ export class AccessController {
         if (!matches && hierarchicalRoleScoping && hierarchicalRoleScoping === 'true') {
           // check for HR scope
           const hrScopes = context?.subject?.hierarchical_scopes;
-          if (!hrScopes || hrScopes.length === 0) {
+          if (!hrScopes || hrScopes?.length === 0) {
             return matches;
           }
           for (let hrScope of hrScopes || []) {
@@ -861,8 +861,8 @@ export class AccessController {
     } else if (!scopingEntExists) {
       // scoping entity does not exist - check for point 3.
       if (context?.subject) {
-        const userRoleAssocs = context?.subject.role_associations;
-        if (userRoleAssocs.length > 0) {
+        const userRoleAssocs = context?.subject?.role_associations;
+        if (userRoleAssocs?.length > 0) {
           const ruleSubAttributeObj = ruleSubAttributes?.find((obj) => obj.id === roleURN);
           for (let obj of userRoleAssocs) {
             if (obj?.role === ruleSubAttributeObj?.value) {
diff --git a/src/core/utils.ts b/src/core/utils.ts
index 8a74f91..4b7346b 100644
--- a/src/core/utils.ts
+++ b/src/core/utils.ts
@@ -264,7 +264,7 @@ export async function createMetadata(resources: any,
       });
   }
 
-  if (resources.length > 0) {
+  if (resources?.length > 0) {
     for (let resource of resources) {
       if (!resource.meta) {
         resource.meta = {};
@@ -272,10 +272,10 @@ export async function createMetadata(resources: any,
       if (action === AuthZAction.MODIFY || action === AuthZAction.DELETE) {
         let result = await service.readMetaData(resource.id);
         // update owner info
-        if (result.items.length === 1) {
+        if (result?.items?.length === 1) {
           let item = result.items[0].payload;
           resource.meta.owners = item.meta.owners;
-        } else if (result.items.length === 0) {
+        } else if (result?.items?.length === 0) {
           if (_.isEmpty(resource.id)) {
             resource.id = uuid.v4().replace(/-/g, '');
           }
diff --git a/src/core/verifyACL.ts b/src/core/verifyACL.ts
index 4819901..66e559a 100644
--- a/src/core/verifyACL.ts
+++ b/src/core/verifyACL.ts
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ export const verifyACLList = async (ruleTarget: Target,
       }
       if (ctxResource) {
         const meta = ctxResource.meta;
-        if (meta && meta.acls && meta.acls.length > 0) {
+        if (meta?.acls?.length > 0) {
           aclList = meta.acls;
         }
       }
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ export const verifyACLList = async (ruleTarget: Target,
 
   let subjectScopedEntityInstances = new Map<string, string[]>();
   let targetScopingEntities = [...targetScopeEntInstances.keys()]; // keys are the scopingEnt
-  for (let i = 0; i < roleAssociations.length; i += 1) {
+  for (let i = 0; i < roleAssociations?.length; i += 1) {
     const role: string = roleAssociations[i]?.role;
     const attributes: Attribute[] = roleAssociations[i]?.attributes || [];
     if (scopedRoles.includes(role)) {
@@ -205,7 +205,7 @@ export const verifyACLList = async (ruleTarget: Target,
       }
 
       // match atleast one of the subjectOrgInstance is present in targetInstances
-      if (subjectInstances && subjectInstances.length > 0) {
+      if (subjectInstances?.length > 0) {
         for (let subjectInstance of subjectInstances) {
           // validate atleast one of the subjectInstance is present in the targetInstances list
           // (same role can be assigned with multiple scoping instnaces hence subjectInstances is an array)