SFO Failures Prompt Calls for Overhaul
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Kristian Niemietz writes for CapX
Christopher Snowdon writes for The Critic
IEA research featured in The Times
The article said:
“Fraud has become the most common crime in the UK, the institute said, but the number of fraud convictions had fallen from 12,378 in 2012 to 3,455 in 2022.
“Researchers criticised the fraud office for its focus on complicated high-profile prosecutions, saying that this had diverted resources away from other important areas, such as crime prevention and the support of small and medium-sized enterprises that are increasingly susceptible to fraud.
“A new body should be encouraged to make greater use of ‘alternative justice mechanisms, including deferred prosecution agreements and using larger fines’, the institute said. It should also be given expanded powers to set standards and impose regulatory sanctions.”
Read the full article here.
The report was also featured in The i (23/08/2024, p.46), City AM, Yahoo!, LondonTV, Irish Legal News, International Comparative Legal Guides, and Scottish Legal News.
You can read a full copy of Replacing the Serious Fraud Office: The case for a new approach to serious economic crime.
Former IEA Academic and Research Director James Forder authored Fraud Focus: Is the Serious Fraud Office fit for purpose? in 2023.