As David Green QC will shortly step down as the director of the Serious Fraud Office, Partner Peter Binning comments on the news that Attorney General, Jeremy Wright, has backed more funding for the SFO to help it recruit top lawyers and reduce its reliance on “blockbuster funding” for handling big cases.
“The clear statements by the Attorney General that the SFO will remain independent of the new National Economic Crime Centre, together with calls for an increase in its core funding to improve its recruiting power, are welcome signs of government confidence in this important UK law enforcement agency. The SFO is one of the world’s best fraud and corruption prosecutors. It does a very difficult job with very little money.
The Attorney General’s statement however comes at the same time as the reduced salary for the newly advertised vacancy of SFO Director. That, coupled with the confirmation that the SFO will have to continue going to the Treasury for blockbuster funding for major cases, suggests that the government is intent on keeping the SFO’s independence under very tight control.”
Read the full article in CDR here.