Unlike the embattled Serious Fraud Office (SFO) the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has achieved considerable recent success in the prosecution of financial crime. This fact should put those organisations regulated by the FCA on alert. The regulator has a wide range of disciplinary and enforcement tools in its armoury including private warnings and public censures. […]
In recent months we have written about how the regulatory approach to cryptocurrencies and cryptoassets in the UK and around the world is starting to mature. Until recently, the regulation of this sector has been disorganised and highly ineffective, but things are beginning to change for the better, albeit slowly, and in different ways in […]
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The penalties for fare evasion offences are governed by a framework of Government Statute Law and local Byelaws. They are relevant for both the civil and criminal pathways of a particular matter. A fare evasion allegation will typically start with a conversation between a commuter and a Revenue Protection Officer (RPO). During that conversation, the […]
Read More… from Fare Evasion Law: Penalisation in the UK for Fare Evasion
The media frequently features action by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) against finance companies that have breached their regulations, some of which are extremely high-profile. In February 2022, the FCA fined Barclays Bank Plc £783,000, however, this pales into insignificance when compared to the fine of £264,772,619.95 levied on National Westminster Bank Plc in December […]
Read More… from Financial Conduct Authority: What Are the Powers Of The FCA?
On 15th March 2022, the Economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) Act 2022 received Royal Assent, signalling that the UK intends to get tougher on financial crime. Some of the new pieces of legislation in this Bill have been mooted for many years (at least since 2016 when David Cameron was Prime Minister), but the Russia/Ukraine […]
Read More… from Economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) Act 2022 Receives Royal Assent
Since the start of the Russia / Ukraine war on 24th February 2022, leaders and politicians around the world have focused on the use of sanctions as a means of bringing an end to the ongoing fighting. With each day, new packages of sanctions are being announced by countries around the world. These have been […]
Read More… from Do Targeted Sanctions Work and Can They Be Challenged?
“Non-Fungible Tokens” (NFTs) have been the subject of considerable discussion and, for many, consternation, in recent months. So what exactly are NFTs, and how does the law apply this burgeoning high-risk digital asset investment class? And are Non-Fungible Tokens legally regulated? NFTs first appeared around 2014 when a video clip was registered on the Namecoin […]
Much has been discussed in the media regarding sanctions in the context of the current war in Ukraine, but the link between crypto currency investment and the risk of breaching sanctions is often less understood. Sanctions remain the predominant tool used by governments around the world as a means of achieving their foreign policy and […]
Read More… from Crypto Market Sanctions: Understanding the Risks
In recent months the national press has covered many stories relating to the crackdown by the government of those suspected of carrying out Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS) fraud during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the National Audit Office, it is now believed that around 11% of the loans granted went to people who applied […]
Read More… from Dealing With An Accusation of Bounce Back Loan Fraud
In December 2021, the attorney general for England and Wales, Suella Braverman, launched an independent review following the conclusion by three Court of Appeal judges that the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) failed to disclose key information, which led to a businessman being jailed for bribery. The review will be carried out by David Calvert-Smith, a […]
On 4th April 2022, Reeds Solicitors opened the Bristol office of its Court of Protection (COP) department following the success of its team in Cardiff. The COP team, which is a Public Law Sector finalist at this year’s Wales Legal Awards is led by Sarah Griffiths-Jones, one of WalesOnline’s 30 Young Lawyers to Watch in […]
Read More… from Our Court of Protection Team – Meet Sarah Griffiths-Jones
As of January 2022, we are well underway with the high-profile investigation into the Woodford Equity Income Fund (WEIF), who are being Investigated by the Financial Contact Authority (FCA), following the suspension of the fund in June 2019. In a letter from Nikhil Rathi, FCA Chief Executive, to Mel Stride, House of Commons Treasury Committee […]
Read More… from What to Expect If You Are Investigated by the Financial Conduct Authority
Society prepares the crime, the criminal commits it. (Anonymous) Now a new type of fraud is making the headlines – the rise of PCR Covid Test fraud. The Coronavirus pandemic has provided the perfect environment for criminal activity, for those so inclined to commit it. The speed at which governments around the world were forced […]
Applications are made to the Court of Protection for lots of different reasons. If you are an advocate, a family member or a carer and you have received court documentation from a Local Authority or a Health Board/NHS Trust and are not sure what to do next, we can help you. We are frequently asked ‘do […]
The use of social media ‘influencers’ is becoming an ever more commonplace and powerful marketing method used by businesses around the world. With this power, however, comes greater legal responsibility. The challenge for influencers and the businesses that rely on them is that there is a very real risk of inadvertently breaching a range of […]
Read More… from How Social Media Influencers Can Protect Themselves from Legal Action
The Court of Protection can have its own language and something that we are often asked about is the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (which are sometimes known as DoLS). Below we have created a factsheet of the questions we are most frequently asked. What are the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS)? The Deprivation of Liberty […]
Read More… from Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards FAQ: What you need to know
When someone lacks capacity to make certain decisions, it is important that they have family, friends and/or professionals looking out for them and making sure that decisions are made in their best interests. In some cases, it may be appropriate to appoint a deputy to act on someone’s behalf. This can be a complex process […]
Reeds Solicitors, a Public Law Team of the Year finalist at this year’s Wales Legal Awards, opened another branch for Court of Protection in Bristol on 4th April 2022. Our incredibly close-knit team of COP solicitors is led by Sarah Griffiths-Jones who was one of WalesOnline ‘30 Young Lawyers to Watch’ in 2018. Sarah is also […]
Read More… from Our Court Of Protection Team – Meet Molly and Sadé
Leading national law firm Reeds Solicitors LLP (Reeds) has launched a Court of Protection service from its Bristol office. The Court of Protection team will be led by the firm’s head of Court of Protection and partner Sarah Griffiths-Jones who is currently based in Cardiff. Sarah will split her time between the Cardiff & Bristol […]
Read More… from Press Release: Reeds Solicitors’ Service for Court of Protection in Bristol
As many practitioners will know, the Vice President of the Court of Protection, Mr Justice Hayden, published guidance last month on judicial visits to ‘P’*. Judges have long been willing to consider direct visits to P during the course of court proceedings but, as Mr Justice Hayden points out, the advent of remote hearings and […]