Compliance Note: Modern Day Slavery Act 2015

The Modern Slavery Act 2015 (MODSA) is the first of its kind in Europe. Its aim is to bring the laws on human trafficking and slavery into the 21^st century. The Act was first passed in March 2015 and comes into force in October 2015.

A person commits an offence under MODSA if they knowingly hold another person in slavery or servitude or if they knowingly require another person to preform forced or compulsory labour. It is also an offence to arrange or facilitate the travel of a person with a view to them being exploited. MODSA makes clear that these are serious offences carrying a penalty of up to life imprisonment.

MODSA attempts to eliminate human trafficking and slavery from the top down by placing obligations on businesses to take a close look at their supply chains. This compliance note will set out these obligations and suggest ways to satisfy them.