News & what's on - Written by on Saturday, June 25, 2016 3:06 - 0 Comments

BREXIT. No change to present enforcement but proposals for new laws could be in tatters

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BrexitThere will be no impact on present operational ability to detect, investigate and prosecute financial crime and bribery.

Speaking this week at the C5 conference in London David Green confirmed that he could see no material impact on a BREXIT vote in connection with the SFO’s work.

However, questions are already being asked about the future of promises made by David Cameron at the recent anti-corruption summit which took place in London just over a month ago.

EU cooperation among law enforcement agencies

Speaking after the referendum vote yesterday both the Police and the UK’s National Crime Agency likewise made plain that they will continue to closely cooperate with European partners following the BREXIT to ensure that law enforcement capability is not diminished.

David Green made similar points to Barry when Barry asked the Director of the Serious Fraud Office the question earlier this week at the C5 conference in London.

“Ahead of the EU referendum, we stated our need to work closely and at speed with European countries to keep people in the UK safe from organised crime, cyberattack, terrorism or violent offenders

It is now for the Government to negotiate the terms of our relationship with Europe but we will work with them to ensure we retain our ability to share intelligence, biometrics and other data at speed and to work with foreign police forces on linked investigations, enquiries and arrests.”

said National Police Chiefs’ Council Vice-Chair, Assistant Commissioner Martin Hewitt, reported Police Professional.

Likewise, Director General of the National Crime Agency Lynne Owens said:

“The NCA works with partners in over 150 countries because organised crime is not constrained by geographical or jurisdictional boundaries. 

To tackle it effectively we must be able to cooperate closely and share intelligence in an agile way. If it cannot be met through EU mechanisms we will find others.

For now, ongoing operations against international crime threats continue as before. We will be working closely with government to understand what the implications of exit will be for us, and to plan the steps we need to take with our law enforcement partners to keep people in the UK safe.”

Proposals thrown into doubt

However, plans announced just over a month ago as part of the Anti-Corruption summit are now thrown into doubt.

In May, on the day of the Global Anti-Corruption Summit UK Prime Minister, David Cameron announced plans for the biggest shake up in corporate criminal liability we have seen to date in an exclusive letter to the Guardian.

Three measures were announced:

1. The creation of a beneficial ownership register
2. The creation of a new Anti-Corruption Co-ordination Centre
3. Plans for a brand new offence of failure to prevent economic crime

David Cameron was closely associated with each of these three plans and it is unclear what will happen to them, at least in the immediate future.

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