According to court filings by Ariel Armon, an acquitted defendant, dated 24 April 2026 and only released on 22 May 2026, an expert witness engaged by the SFO to support its bribery and corruption investigation enlisted a public official to channel improper payments to other officials in order to secure information and materials for the SFO’s inquiry. In February 2026, the SFO halted its case against Graeme Hossie, the former chief executive of London Mining, Rachel Rhodes, its ex-chief financial officer, and Armon, a former consultant. The agency has rejected any suggestion of misconduct. The trio had been charged by the SFO in June 2023 with conspiring to pay bribes to state officials and intermediaries to advance London Mining’s interests in Sierra Leone. Hossie, Rhodes, and Armon were scheduled for trial in April 2026. However, the SFO discontinued the...
New tool for sentencers in the Crown Court The Sentencing Council has released a streamlined edition of the SentencingACE tool, created to assist sentencers in the Crown Court in identifying the relevant statutory provisions and sentencing guidelines when passing sentence for an offence. Access the tool here......
In this issue: Criminal liability Criminal procedure and evidence Proceeds of crime Bribery, corruption, sanctions and export controls Cybercrime and data protection offences Environmental offences Fraud, forgery, tax and theft offences Health and safety and corporate manslaughter offences Insolvency offences and Companies Act offences Local authority prosecutions International Daily and weekly news alerts New and updated content Dates for your diary Trackers Useful information Criminal liability Corporate criminal liability expansion-the Crime and Policing Act 2026 The Crime and Policing Act 2026 (CPA 2026) has now secured Royal Assent, heralding a substantial reset of corporate criminal liability in the UK. By broadening attribution through a widened ‘senior manager’ test, it steps away from the restrictive bounds of the traditional identification principle. From 29 June 2026, corporate criminal exposure will depend not on fixing misconduct to the board or the most senior executives, but on the real-world allocation and exercise of decision-making authority throughout the organisation......
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has released the results of a review evaluating financial services firms’ frameworks and controls relating to financial and trade sanctions. The publication sets out illustrations of effective and weak practice, plus development priorities, to support firms in meeting sanctions legislation. According to FCA, firms have advanced in avoiding sanctions breaches, yet deficiencies persist......
Recognising the significance of Scottish corporate crime practice to our customers, we are creating a new suite of material on Scottish corporate crime law for legal practitioners in Scotland. These resources provide a vital reference for Scottish practitioners, while the guidance will also aid legal practitioners throughout both England and Wales dealing with cross-border criminal investigations where understanding asset recovery and confiscation in Scotland is necessary.
The Scotland collection is a research tool collating guidance on key areas of...
When evaluating a general damages claim, the practitioner ought initially to refer to the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG)...
This Practice Note This Practice Note reviews mechanisms used in settling litigation. A Tomlin order consists of a consent order paired with a schedule. It operates to stay proceedings on terms that have been agreed. The provisions contained in the schedule may remain confidential. This Practice Note describes the scope of confidentiality attaching to the schedule and sets out how it differs from a standard consent order. Sample wording for a Tomlin order is included, alongside links to precedents, as well as guidance on court approval. It also addresses varying, setting aside and enforcing a Tomlin order, including the considerations the court will take into account when handling applications for each. Further guidance is provided on interpreting and applying the relevant provisions of the CPR; however, some courts and divisions impose very specific requirements for both drafting and approval, and for approaching the schedule and confidentiality issues. Accordingly, you must consider the particular rules and court guide provisions in the forum where your claim is proceeding when drawing up the Tomlin order...
Date [ date ] Parties [ name of Landlord ] [ of OR incorporated in England and Wales (company registration number [ number ]) with its registered office at ] [ address ] (Landlord) [ name of Tenant ] [ of OR incorporated in England and Wales (company registration number [ number ]) with its registered office at ] [ address ] (Tenant) [ [ name of Guarantor ] [ of OR incorporated in England and Wales (company registration number [ number ]) with its registered office at ] [ address ] (Guarantor) ] [ [ name of Mortgagee ] [ of OR incorporated in England and Wales (company registration number [ number ]) with its registered office at ] [ address ] (Mortgagee) ] Definitions Within this Deed, the terms below shall be interpreted as follows: [ Annual Rent • the annual sum reserved under the Lease; ] [ Insurance Rent • the Tenant’s share of the Landlord’s costs of insuring the Property (as set out in the Lease); ] Lease • the lease of the Property dated [ date ], entered into between (1) [ the Landlord OR [ name ...
I, [ name ], of [ address ], solemnly and sincerely state that: [ Matters to be verified, set out in numbered paragraphs ] I make this solemn statement in good conscience, believing it to be true, and pursuant to the provisions of the Statutory Declarations Act 1835. DECLARED at [ details ] this [ day ] day of [ month and year ] Before me ................................................................................ [ signature of the person before whom the declaration is made ] A [ commissioner for oaths OR [ solicitor OR [ insert other qualification ] ] authorised to administer oaths ]...