header-logo header-logo

Home Login E-newsletter About us
01 September 2023 / Kate Bridgland , Oliver Cooke , Richard Marshall
Issue: 8038 / Categories: Features , Fraud , Criminal , Disclosure
printer mail-detail

The UK financial crime regime: fit for purpose?

© Copyright LexisNexis 2026. All Rights Reserved.
135274
In the first of a three-part series on the changing economic crime landscape in the UK, Kate Bridgland, Oliver Cooke & Richard Marshall put Serious Fraud Office prosecutions in the dock
  • Several high-profile failed prosecutions have left the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) facing criticism.
  • Significant further investment is required to allow the SFO to succeed.

The collapsed prosecution of three former executives at security contractor G4S Care and Justice Services earlier this year is the latest unfortunate result for the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) in its attempts to bring charges against employees after reaching deferred prosecution agreements (DPAs) with their employers.

G4S supplied electronic monitoring services to the government between 2005 and 2013. It was subsequently accused of misleading the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) in relation to the extent of the profits it generated from this ‘tagging’ contract. In July 2020, G4S entered into a DPA with the SFO, agreeing to pay a penalty of £38.5m plus a contribution to the SFO’s legal costs of £5.9m. Additionally, three former GPS executives

If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content
If you are already a subscriber sign in
...or Register for two weeks' free access to subscriber content

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Read All
Sponsored by
Hogan Lovells—Lisa Quelch

Hogan Lovells—Lisa Quelch

Partner hire strengthens global infrastructure and energy financing practice

Sherrards—Jan Kunstyr

Sherrards—Jan Kunstyr

Legal director bolsters international expertise in dispute resolution team

Muckle LLP—Stacey Brown

Muckle LLP—Stacey Brown

Corporate governance and company law specialist joins the team

NEWS
Read All
Legal notice: Notice under the Trustee Act 1925

NOTICE UNDER THE TRUSTEE ACT 1925

HERBERT SMITH STAFF PENSION SCHEME (THE “SCHEME”)

NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND BENEFICIARIES UNDER SECTION 27 OF THE TRUSTEE ACT 1925
Emergency lawyers on call as international regulatory actions soar
Law firm HFW is offering clients lawyers on call for dawn raids, sanctions issues and other regulatory emergencies
NLJ this week: Employment law’s fine margins
From gender-critical speech to notice periods and incapability dismissals, employment law continues to turn on fine distinctions. In his latest employment law brief for NLJ, Ian Smith of Norwich Law School reviews a cluster of recent decisions, led by Bailey v Stonewall, where the Court of Appeal clarified the limits of third-party liability under the Equality Act
NLJ this week: Promises broken on non-molestation orders?
Non-molestation orders are meant to be the frontline defence against domestic abuse, yet their enforcement often falls short. Writing in NLJ this week, Jeni Kavanagh, Jessica Mortimer and Oliver Kavanagh analyse why the criminalisation of breach has failed to deliver consistent protection
NLJ this week: Assisted dying under the legal microscope
Assisted dying remains one of the most fraught fault lines in English law, where compassion and criminal liability sit uncomfortably close. Writing in NLJ this week, Julie Gowland and Barny Croft of Birketts examine how acts motivated by care—booking travel, completing paperwork, or offering emotional support—can still fall within the wide reach of the Suicide Act 1961
Copyright © 2026 LexisNexis
back-to-top-scroll