The risk of criminal liability is set to increase for companies doing business in the United Kingdom after new legislation takes effect in June.
The U.K.’s Crime and Policing Act, set to come into force on June 29 after receiving Royal Assent on April 29, is principally meant to tackle violent crime and antisocial behavior. However, the legislation contains several provisions which are meant to combat economic crime that can have significant ramifications for companies—not least making organizations criminally liable where a senior manager commits any criminal offense in the U.K. while acting within their “actual or apparent authority.”
