Serious Fraud Office (United Kingdom)

The Serious Fraud Office is an arm of the Government of the United Kingdom, accountable to the Attorney-General. Established by the Criminal Justice Act 1987, the Serious Fraud Office is responsible for the investigation and prosecution of suspected cases of serious or complex fraud where 1 million or more GBP is at risk of being lost through fraud. It has jurisdication over England and Wales and Northern Ireland, but not Scotland, though the Serious Fraud Office's compulsory information powers contained in section 2 of the Criminal Justice Act 1987 do so.

It has existed since 1988, as a recommendation of the Roskill Report, which recommended that this specialist duty be taken away from normal police forces and the Crown Prosecution Service. The report came in the wake of several failed prosecutions.

Private Eye, which often cites alleged toothlessness or incompetence on the part of the SFO, nearly always calls it the "Serious Farce Office" and other people have dubbed it the "Seriously Flawed Office" for similar reasons.

The current Director is Robert Wardle, who was appointed on April 21, 2003.

Targets

• Barry Townsley -- Labour donor involved in the "cash for Peerages" scandal

External link

• Serious Fraud Office