New Confiscation Recommendations: A Price Worth Paying?

On 15 July 2016, the Home Affairs Committee published a report on the Proceeds of Crime. The report identifies a number of systemic problems with the current confiscation order system and makes several recommendations designed to improve the system's effectiveness.

The headline figures of the report are certainly concerning. For example, it estimates that at least £100 billion is laundered through the UK each year. It also states that, in 2014-15, less than 1% of convictions led to a confiscation order and that the enforcement rate for orders made above £1 million was just 22%. Further, despite a reduction in the number of confiscation orders being made, it found that the total debt figure outstanding from confiscation orders continues to increase at an alarming pace, and currently stands at £1.61 billion. Of this figure, it is estimated that only 10% can realistically be collected.