13m illegal cigarettes seized from UK streets as black market booms March 9, 2022 Investigators have seized over £7m worth of cigarettes over the past year, as the government cracks down on illegal tobacco trade on the streets. Across England and Wales, 13 million cigarettes and 4,300 kilos of hand-rolling tobacco have been seized by authorities. The operation, conducted by HM Revenue and Customs staff, Border Force officials, police [...]
Supreme Court rules suspects have the right not to be named in criminal investigations in a ‘severe blow’ to the media February 16, 2022 The Supreme Court has ruled that suspects in a criminal investigation have the right not to be named by the press until charges are brought in a “severe blow” to the media’s role as the eyes and ears of the public It comes after Bloomberg lodged an appeal to the court after an unnamed businessman, [...]
UK is losing fight against fraud as anti-corruption watchdogs are “under-resourced” January 24, 2022 An anti-corruption think-tank has warned the UK is losing the fight against financial crime, as a lack of funding has left the country’s law enforcement agencies “over-stretched” and “under-resourced.” In a report, the think-tank called on the government to reinvest money recuperated from criminals into the government agencies fighting corruption and financial crime, as it [...]
Criminal barristers threaten nationwide strike if government fails to up their pay January 18, 2022 Criminal barristers have said they will go on strike if the government does not substantially increase their pay. In a survey put out by the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), 96.5 per cent of criminal barristers said they favour taking strike action if the Government does not agree “to a substantial increase in criminal legal [...]
Businesses beware as 70 per cent Brits aren’t afraid of taking legal action December 16, 2021 Companies that break the law could find themselves facing more lawsuits from the great British public, as over 70 per cent said they would join a class action – many even against their own employer – according to a new study published today. The study, which polled members of the public on their perceptions of [...]
High Court rules Julian Assange can be extradited to US December 10, 2021 The High Court has ruled Julian Assange can be extradited to the US, after it won the latest round of the protracted legal battle.
UK must create hostile environment for kleptocrats to reduce influence of dirty money, argues Chatham House December 9, 2021 The UK must needs to reform its approach to dirty money and push for transparency to fix its reputation as hotbed for kleptocrats.
Prosecutors could be forced to meet victims before making a charging verdict December 9, 2021 Prosecutors could be required to meet victims of crime before deciding whether a suspect should be charged, following government plans for a “Victims ‘ Law”. The proposals, published today, will mean “victims of crime will be better heard, served and protected,” according to the Ministry of Justice. Another proposal could see criminals paying more towards [...]
Khashoggi murder suspect arrest a case of mistaken identity December 8, 2021 One of the suspected killers of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was arrested at the Roissy airport near Paris this afternoon as he was about to board a flight to Riyadh.
UK watchdog slams government failures to tackle Covid loan fraud December 3, 2021 The National Audit Office has chastised the government for failing to crack down on an estimated £5bn of loan fraud during the pandemic. The government’s department for business, energy and industrial strategy handed out far more in Covid Bounce Back Loans than it was expecting during the pandemic with a total of £47bn dished out [...]