Dawn raids & external investigations

The UK Government has legislated to permit a number of UK authorities to obtain search warrants to 'raid' a business premises.

The potential for a dawn raid to be executed against a company is an everyday reality for many businesses, given the increasing criminalisation of business practices, growing numbers of regulatory criminal offences and the proliferation of money laundering laws and regulations. The prospect of an intervention by UK authorities has increased since the introduction of the Bribery Act 2010 and the corporate offence of failure to prevent bribery, which is mirrored by a corporate offences of failure to prevent tax evasion and failure to prevent fraud, and the expansion of corporate criminal liability.

What is a dawn raid?

A dawn raid is an unexpected visit by the police and/or investigators from another prosecution body to search premises when they suspect the business or an individual has been involved in criminal activity. Investigators typically arrive unannounced first thing in the morning (hence 'dawn' raids) and are always meant to be unexpected to ensure that evidence is best preserved for the search. Investigators often take an aggressive

To view the latest version of this document and thousands of others like it, sign-in with LexisNexis or register for a free trial.

TAKE A FREE TRIAL

Latest Risk & Compliance News

Guidance on the information sharing measures in the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 has been updated

An update to the guidance on information sharing measures outlined in the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 has been updated on the government’s website. The measures, which are voluntary, allow regulated firms to share customer information for the purposes of preventing, investigating and detecting economic crime and have been put in place to provide greater clarity and comfort to regulated firms to share relevant customer information.

House of Lords conclude committee stage of Data (Use and Access) Bill

The House of Lords has completed the committee stage of the Data (Use and Access) Bill, the final day of scrutiny took place on 18 December 2024 and focused on amendments related to children and AI, national security and data privacy risks and AI compliance with UK copyright law. The bill, aimed at harnessing data for economic growth and improving digital governance, has undergone thorough examination over multiple sessions, addressing issues such as protection of children, misuse of AI rules, data mining and processing of personal data. The next stage, report stage, is scheduled for 21 January 2025.

Businesses should expect a role in tackling fraud next year

Law360, London: If one word sums up a key trend in financial crime enforcement in 2024, it would be fraud, specifically consumer fraud.

FCDO imposes sanctions on Georgian officials for human rights violations

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has announced sanctions against five senior Georgian officials in response to violent attacks on journalists and peaceful protestors. This action, coordinated with the United States, imposes UK travel bans and asset freezes on the individuals responsible for the crackdown following public opposition to the Georgian Dream party's decision to pause the country's European integration. The sanctions follow the UK's recent suspension of programme support to the Georgian government and restriction of defence cooperation. The FCDO's decision aligns with condemnations from UN experts and the OSCE regarding the pattern of repression and human rights violations in Georgia, particularly in light of the use of force against protestors after the October parliamentary elections.

View Risk & Compliance by content type :

News