Lawyers say NCA should refocus after dismissal of unexplained wealth orders

Lawyers say NCA should refocus after dismissal of unexplained wealth orders

April 16, 2020, Global Investigations Review

Ian Hargreaves is quoted in Global Investigations Review regarding the high court’s recent dismissal of three unexplained wealth orders (UWOs) obtained by the National Crime Agency. Mr. Hargreaves says the verdict showed that UK courts are not prepared to approve UWOs without scrupulously checking the facts underlying each application. He adds that while the court’s decision will disappoint the NCA, the agency should also see the appeal as an opportunity to find out just how far it can “push the envelope” with this still largely untested piece of legislation. “With any new legislation, it takes time for the legal principles to develop,” he says. “The appeal will be an opportunity to examine the extent of this legislation based on these particular facts.”