The Serious Fraud Office’s (SFO) deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) with Ultra Electronics Holdings Ltd has drawn attention to the expanded corporate criminal liability regime under the Crime and Policing Act 2026 (CPA 2026). According to reporting by Law360, a LexisNexis company, the Ultra resolution may indicate how prosecutors could approach corporate charging decisions as the statutory attribution model develops. The CPA 2026 received royal assent on 29 April 2026 and extends the reformed identification doctrine so that organisations may be criminally liable where a senior manager commits a criminal offence while acting within the actual or apparent scope of their authority. The relevant provision is due to come into force on 29 June 2026.

Law360, London: The launch by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) of its first cryptocurrency investigation signals an appetite for using new resources to crack down on fraud, part of a wider move by UK law enforcement agencies to treat blockchain as a mainstream threat, lawyers say.

Law360, London: The first unexplained wealth order (UWO) secured by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), against the former wife of a convicted solicitor, suggests that the agency is thinking creatively about how to use the dirty-money tools at its disposal, although lawyers wonder whether it will be a durable strategy.

Law360, London: The Serious Fraud Office’s (SFO) recent promise to assist UK Plc with growth has raised eyebrows among former officials who question the optics of adopting political talking points that, on the surface, appear to distract from investigating and prosecuting economic crime.

The Supreme Court of Singapore has published the Kaplan Lecture 2025, delivered by Chief Justice, Sundaresh Menon on 1 December 2025. The Chief Justice emphasised that arbitral tribunals and supervisory courts should adopt a more proactive and robust approach to corruption within principled limits. Key issues addressed include the tribunal’s authority to investigate corruption when indicators of concern appear, but parties do not raise it, whether arbitrators should report suspicions to public authorities and how courts should review awards involving corruption while balancing minimal curial intervention and finality. He highlighted the role of international judicial dialogue and specialised courts in safeguarding arbitration’s legitimacy.

Property analysis: In a judgment handed down on 13th March 2026 in the case of SGL1 Ltd v FSV Freeholders Ltd, John de Waal KC and Gemma de Cordova have overturned long-established authority on the question of what is a ‘building’ for the purposes of a notice served under section 5 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1987 (LTA 1987).

The Shanghai International Arbitration Center (SHIAC) has announced that it has opened a Hong Kong Office on 5 May 2024.

The Shanghai International Arbitration Center (SHIAC) has published its 2024 annual report, revealing growth in international arbitration cases. The centre reported a 39.58% increase in cases involving 67 countries and regions, with parties from 37 countries participating. Notably, 41 cases were conducted in English or bilingually, marking a 78.26% rise. SHIAC also implemented new arbitration rules and sector-specific guidelines, including those for aviation, data and online arbitration.

The Shanghai International Arbitration Center (SHIAC) recently published its report on gender diversity in arbitration cases and the development of the female arbitration ecosystem, covering data from 2025. The report highlights notable statistics, including that 42.70% of SHIAC arbitral tribunals included female arbitrators. Among foreign-related cases, women arbitrators participated in 70.44% of instances, while 37.90% of sole arbitrators were women. Cases involving female arbitrators accounted for disputed values exceeding RMB 40 billion. In addition, the report found that female participation extended beyond arbitration panels. At international forums, 34.93% of speakers were women and in academia, 41.18% of university lecturers in arbitration-related roles were female.

Certain provisions of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (the Act) relating to civil recovery of cryptoassets in Scotland come into force on 7 November 2024 and the offence of failing to prevent fraud across the UK on 1 September 2025.

These regulations amend regulation 33(3)(a) of the Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds (Information on the Payer) Regulations, SI 2017/692 to redefine “High-Risk Third Countries” (“HRTCs”) as those countries identified by the Financial Action Task Force ("FATF”) in the lists the FATF publish from time to time, as “High-Risk Jurisdictions Subject to a Call for Action” and “Jurisdictions Under Increased Monitoring”

The Security Industry Authority (SIA) has launched a consultation on its draft section 12 statutory guidance, which details how it proposes to execute its regulatory functions under the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 (T(PP)A 2025), referred to as Martyn's Law, which is expected to come into force in spring 2027. T(PP)A 2025, s12(2)(a) requires the SIA to produce and publish this guidance, subject to Secretary of State approval. The draft guidance outlines the SIA’s proposed regulatory approach, including how it will provide compliance guidance, conduct inspections, address instances of non-compliance, reach compliance decisions and determine financial penalties for premises and events falling within the scope of T(PP)A 2025. The consultation closes on 12 June 2026. The SIA also intends to publish further operational guidance, including details of how and when responsible persons should notify the SIA that they fall within the scope of Martyn’s Law, once its online notification system has been built.