Serious Fraud Office (UK) announces it is no longer proceeding with the prosecution of individual defendants in relation to London Mining plc.

After a decade‑long investigation, the SFO has dropped its London Mining case due to critical failures in its legacy evidence‑review software, which meant some material may never have been examined. The defendants were acquitted, and up to 20 other cases may be affected. This is the second major collapse linked to disclosure tech issues, highlighting ongoing challenges in managing vast digital evidence and mounting court backlogs.

For those of us in counter‑fraud, compliance, investigations, and risk, the message is clear:

Weak or unreliable review systems don’t just slow investigations — they can collapse them.

Technology must strengthen disclosure, not undermine it.

Delays, backlogs, and system strain continue to challenge the UK’s ability to prosecute complex financial crime.

Cases like this reinforce why robust processes, validated technology, and disciplined governance are essential across every stage of the investigative chain.

https://www.ft.com/content/0fe2cac3-0794-4bd4-9acb-31b35b463312