Failing to Face Down Fraud: Does the SFO Have a Future?

Is the Serious Fraud Office “on the ropes” as the headline in a recent Financial Times article declared? Was the former anti-corruption tsar Ken Clarke right in 2014 when he told SFO Director David Green that he had “always thought the SFO was a load of crap”? And if so, why is it that the UK is so poor at investigating financial crimes in comparison with other countries? Does the recent announcement of SFO Director Nick Ephgrave’s early retirement, the collapse of the London Mining case, and the two-year postponement of the Patisserie Valerie trial provide yet more evidence that the SFO is a doomed organisation, ripe for merger into the planned new National Police Service? To discuss the continuing problems that plague the SFO’s ability to be seen as a fearsome, fraud busting organisation, Ken Macdonald KC and Tim Owen KC are joined once again by leading financial crime Silk Ian Winter KC. The trio also debate the pros and cons of the Government’s proposal to do away with juries in “suitably technical and lengthy” fraud and financial crime cases and consider the implications of Supreme Court President Lord Reed’s call for more criminal appeals to be considered by the top court in the face of a concern that the Court of Appeal Criminal Division has for many years demonstrated institutional reluctance to certify points of law with the result that very few criminal appeals ever reach the Supreme Court. -- Covering the critical intersections of politics and law in the UK with expert commentary on high-profile legal cases, political controversies, prisons and sentencing, human rights law, current political events and the shifting landscape of justice and democracy. With in-depth discussions and influential guests, Double Jeopardy is the podcast that uncovers the forces shaping Britain's legal and political future.  ​ ​What happens when politics and law collide? How do politics shape the law - and when does the law push back? What happens when judicial independence is tested, human rights come under attack, or freedom of expression is challenged? And who really holds power in Britain's legal and political system?  Get answers to questions like these weekly on Wednesdays.  ​ ​Double Jeopardy is presented by Ken Macdonald KC, former Director of Public Prosecutions, and Tim Owen KC, as they break down the legal and political issues in Britain. From high-profile legal cases to the evolving state of British democracy, Double Jeopardy offers expert legal commentary on the most pressing topics in UK law, politics, and human rights.  ​ ​Ken Macdonald KC served as Director of Public Prosecutions from 2003-2008, shaping modern prosecutorial policy and advocating for the rule of law. He is a former Warden of Wadham College, Oxford, a crossbench member of the House of Lords, and a leading writer, commentator and broadcaster on politics and the rule of law. ​​ Tim Owen KC has been involved in many of the most significant public, criminal and human rights law cases over the past four decades.  Both bring unparalleled experience from the frontline of Britain's legal and political landscape. ​ If you like The Rest Is Politics, Talking Politics, Law Pod UK and Today in Focus, you'll love Double Jeopardy.​ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices