Was the introduction of deferred prosecution agreements a success?

Article summary

Corporate Crime analysis: From 24 February 2014, both the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) had the power, as prosecutors, to enter into a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) with relevant organisations. Ten years on, only thirteen DPAs have received court approval and, until recently, only the SFO had made use of the power to enter into a DPA. That changed last year with the approval of the latest DPA agreed between the CPS and Entain plc. Addleshaw Goddard LLP Partners Nichola Peters, Michelle de Kluyver and Neeta Chityal, and Senior Knowledge Lawyer, Gilly Bradbury, from the Global Investigations practice, consider what makes DPAs effective and how changes brought in by the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 may impact their use. Addleshaw Goddard acted for two of the corporates and is the only firm to have acted in respect of both a CPS and an SFO agreed DPA.