The government is intent on creating a new “super agency” to tackle the perceived shortcomings of the current multi-agency system for investigating and prosecuting fraud and related commercial crime.
The CPS, not drastic change, is the solution for tackling business crime,
says Peter Binning
The government is intent on creating a new “super agency” to tackle the perceived shortcomings of the current multi-agency system for investigating and prosecuting fraud and related commercial crime. The proposed new Economic Crime Agency is a wrongheaded approach. Instead what is needed is a selective and innovative set of amendments to current laws on plea bargaining and sentencing for business crime.
The existing organisations should be expanded where possible rather than creating a new body. The redundant ones can be shut down. Any new agency would require huge investment in people and resources and there would be inevitable delay in forging a new identity and statutory framework. What is needed is a reliable and stable organisation backed by practical legal powers. Why not develop the now quarter century old Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) backed by simple amendments to the Prosecution
