The Financial Crime Compliance Research Interest Group

The Financial Crime Compliance research interest group brings together academics from across Law and Business, as well as lawyers and financial services professionals with a view to:

producing research outputs
designing and implementing teaching materials
providing and hosting seminars, conferences and workshops
designing tailored financial crime compliance awareness training

Research

Our research interest group is interested in the full range of financial crimes including money laundering, fraud, corruption and financial misconduct. Additionally we have expertise in regulatory compliance. Members of the group are currently researching: “Hiding the beneficial owner and the proceeds of corruption” supported by the FDCO-funded Global Integrity Anti-Corruption Evidence (ACE) Programme.

The group supports the work of the Counter Fraud Professional Accreditation Board (CFPAB).

Knowledge Exchange

Members of the group, in partnership with AuditOne, the North-east NHS audit consortium, have teamed-up to provide a series of Continuing Professional Development courses for public sector staff working in counter-fraud. Drawing on the expertise and research of members, these courses will strengthen counter-fraud responses in the NHS and disseminate the wider research of group members to partners in the NHS, across the public sector, and beyond.

Policy

The group seeks to inform policy, and has recently responded to consultations by the Law Commission, the EU Commission, HM Treasury and others, and also organised the Law Commission’s consultation and closing symposium into the law on confiscation in Part 2 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 on behalf of the University.

Group convenor and main contact: Dr Peter Sproat

Activities and Events

Transnational Criminal Law: A Case Study of the International Anti-Money Laundering Framework as applied in Nigeria, a Case of Smoke and Mirrors. Ms Sue Turner, Professor Tony Ward, Dr Peter Sproat, Mr Jonathan Bainbridge and Professor Jackie Harvey Second International Research Conference on Empirical Approaches to AML and Financial Crime Suppression, held virtually on 27, 28, and 29 January 2021

The Law Commission’s Closing Symposium following the review of the law on confiscation in part 2 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, November 2020

‘Can banks contribute to the fight against trafficking?’ P Sproat, J.Harvey, S.Turner Human Trafficking: Criminal Law Conference, Northumbria University, 16 October 2019

‘Tactical tinkering or radical re-imagining: fixing the flaws in the AML/TF regime.’ J.Harvey, S.Turner, C. Mitford and P. Sproat. North East Fraud Forum, Annual Conference. 15 November 2018

The Law Commission’s consultation to discuss a review of the law on confiscation in Part 2 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, November 2018

Panel: Unexplained Wealth Orders: Are they a useful addition to the law enforcement armoury? At the Northumbria University Business & Law Doctoral and Faculty Research Conference, June 2018

CRIME STORY – Saturday 19 May 2018, Northumbria Law School