Law and the Justice System

The Court of Appeal in London has backed the UK National Crime Agency’s (NCA) use of unexplained wealth orders (UWOs), dismissing an appeal brought by the subject of the first UWO granted.

https://www.pinsentmasons.com/out-law/news/court-appeal-upholds-unexplained-wealth-order

The English High Court has demonstrated a willingness to adapt existing practices to address the challenges posed by payment fraud in the digital age. In the case of CMOC Sales and Marketing Limited v. Persons Unknown [2018] EWHC 2230 (Comm), the High Court granted a worldwide freezing injunction against "persons unknown" responsible for misdirecting substantial payments by hacking emails, and permitting service of documents by electronic means such as WhatsApp, Facebook and via an online data room.

https://www.mondaq.com/Article/889894

UPDATED prosecution data has been released by the Crown Prosecution Service today (30 January).

A High Court family judge has ordered that public funds be made available to pay for lay advocates to support intellectually impaired parents in a court hearing about their child, after expert witnesses said they were necessary to lift the load from solicitors.

https://www.legalfutures.co.uk/latest-news/hmcts-told-to-fund-lay-advocates-to-lift-solicitors-burden

There has been a more than tenfold increase in the number of people identified as victims of modern slavery and human trafficking in London, and more than 30% of all cases nationally are discovered in the capital, according to new research.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/jan/30/number-of-slavery-victims-in-london-up-tenfold-in-five-years?CMP=share_btn_tw

A Liverpool money launderer has been ordered to hand over more than £131k or face a further 15 months in prison.

The National Crime Agency has recovered houses and cash worth more than 450,000 after an financial investigation into property held by a 41 year old Bradford man.

Investigations into alleged misconduct by prison staff have risen by a third in a year, figures have revealed.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-51049216

Legal action to help recover half a million pounds stolen by a corrupt Smethwick headteacher and her school secretary is to begin later this month.

https://www.expressandstar.com/news/local-hubs/sandwell/smethwick/2020/01/07/sandwell-council-to-claw-back-500000-stolen-by-smethwick-headteacher/

The SFO alleged that three senior employees of Guralp Systems Limited (“the Company”), a UK based seismology company, conspired to corruptly make payments of approximately £1 million over a period of twelve years between 2003 and 2015 to a public official and employee of the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources, in return for £2 million worth of contracts.

https://www.gibsondunn.com/guralp-systems-limited-uk-serious-fraud-office-sixth-deferred-prosecution-agreement-results-in-no-penalty-for-company/?utm_source=Mondaq&utm_medium=syndication&utm_campaign=View-Original