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NLJ this week: It’s ambitious, but will it be effective? Analysing ECCTA 2023

08 March 2024
Issue: 8062 / Categories: Legal News , Commercial , Fraud , Criminal
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Performative law-making or a driver for real change? The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 is dissected and examined in this week’s NLJ by Tom Forster KC and Katie Bacon

Forster and Bacon, both of Red Lion Chambers, take an in-depth look at the ‘ambitious’ Act, which extends criminal liability for corporates and creates a ‘failure to prevent’ fraud duty for large organisations, and much more. They set out the background to the Act, discuss its scope and consider how effective it will be in practice. Fraud is a major issue, accounting for about 60% of crime, according to the Office for National Statistics. The National Crime Agency has estimated more than £100bn may be being laundered through the UK every year.

Will the Act work? More resources may be needed. Forster and Bacon assert the Act’s measures ‘represent powerful tools’ but call for the investigative and prosecution agencies to be properly resourced ‘so as to provide a clear and credible enforcement threat’.

MOVERS & SHAKERS

1 Hare Court—Peter Mitchell KC & Amber Sheridan

1 Hare Court—Peter Mitchell KC & Amber Sheridan

Leading family law set strengthens ranks with high-profile additions

Thackray Williams—Jennifer Nicol

Thackray Williams—Jennifer Nicol

Firm bolsters commercial team with senior employment partner hire

Irwin Mitchell—Vijay Bange

Irwin Mitchell—Vijay Bange

Head of construction and engineering team appointed

NEWS
Writing in NLJ this week, Kelvin Rutledge KC of Cornerstone Barristers and Genevieve Screeche-Powell of Field Court Chambers examine the Court of Appeal’s rejection of a discrimination challenge to Tower Hamlets’ housing database
Michael Zander KC, Emeritus Professor at LSE, tracks the turbulent passage of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill through the House of Lords in this week's issue of NLJ. Two marathon debates drew contributions from nearly 200 peers, split between support, opposition and conditional approval
Alistair Mills of Landmark Chambers reflects on the Human Rights Act 1998 a quarter-century after it came into force, in this week's issue of NLJ
In his latest Civil Way column for NLJ, Stephen Gold surveys a raft of procedural changes and quirky disputes shaping civil practice. His message is clear: civil practitioners must brace for continual tweaks, unexpected contentions and rising costs in everyday litigation
Barbara Mills KC, chair of the Bar 2025 and joint head of chambers at 4PB, sets out in this week's NLJ how the profession will respond to Baroness Harriet Harman KC’s review into bullying, harassment and sexual misconduct at the Bar
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