New forensic science service planned – BBC News
‘A new forensic and biometrics service is planned by the Home Office, four years after it controversially abolished its predecessor.’
BBC News, 12th March 2016
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Category: auditors
‘Big Four’ audit firms never examined over illegal tax plans – The Independent
‘Audit and accountancy firms who devise tax-avoidance schemes ruled unlawful have never faced official reprimand, The Independent can reveal. None of the so-called “Big Four” firms – PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), KPMG, Deloitte & Touche and Ernst & Young – has ever faced regulatory investigation for such schemes. Court rulings condemning unlawful avoidance schemes are regularly overlooked by regulators.’
The Independent, 18th January 2016
Source: www.independent.co.uk
Collapse of Olympus fraud case fuels calls for UK law reforms – The Independent
‘Legal experts have called for an overhaul of UK corporate laws to hold companies to account after the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) dropped its prosecution of Japanese optical giant Olympus Corporation.’
The Independent, 11th November 2015
Source: www.independent.co.uk
Quarter of billion in court fines written off – Daily Telegraph
‘Millions of pounds in fines and victim compensation cancelled because offenders can no longer be traced.’
Daily Telegraph, 26th April 2014
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
Mid-Staffs scandal: Nursing and Midwifery Council criticised – BBC News
‘The Nursing and Midwifery Council is facing more criticism over its handling of disciplinary cases in a report by the Professional Standards Authority.’
BBC News, 31st March 2014
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
G4S may still face criminal proceedings over tagging scandal – justice secretary – The Guardian
‘G4S, the troubled giant private security company, still faces the possibility of criminal proceedings over its alleged overcharging of at least £24m on electronic tagging and prisoner escort contracts, the justice secretary, Chris Grayling, has said. His reminder comes as G4S makes a concerted attempt to have the current ban on bidding for fresh government contracts lifted.’
The Guardian, 11th March 2014
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Confiscation orders take only 26p in every £100 from criminals, NAO finds – The Guardian
‘Confiscation orders designed to ensure crime does not pay provide neither value for money nor a credible deterrent as perpetrators keep all but 26p in every £100 generated by the criminal economy, according to a damning report.’
The Guardian, 17th December 2013
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Watchdog warning over ‘unnecessary’ gagging clauses – BBC News
“The use of ‘gagging clauses’ risks stopping employees from speaking out about failures in the public sector, the National Audit Office has warned.”
BBC News, 8th October 2013
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Council and watchdog in standoff over lawfulness of libel claim indemnity – Local Government Lawyer
“A local authority and a finance watchdog are at loggerheads over whether certain expenditure – including the grant of an indemnity to the chief executive to bring a libel counter-claim – was unlawful.”
Local Government Lawyer, 30th September 2013
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
Competition Commission backs away from mandatory rotation in preliminary report on audit market – OUT-LAW.com
“The Competition Commission (CC) has decided against forcing companies to rotate their statutory auditors regularly and has signalled that they should instead put their auditing needs out to tender at least every five years.”
OUT-LAW.com, 24th July 2013
Source: www.out-law.com
Competition Commission urges shakeup of accountancy market – The Guardian
“Britain’s largest companies should put their accounting business up for tender every five years, the Competition Commission has said, as part of an investigation into the dominance of the big four accountancy groups.”
The Guardian, 22nd July 2013
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Plans to give ICO power to conduct compulsory data protection audits in NHS unveiled – OUT-LAW.com
“Public health bodies in the UK could be compelled to open themselves up to a
data protection audit by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) under new
plans outlined by the Government.”
OUT-LAW.com, 26th March 2013
Source: www.out-law.com
Competition Commission raps Big Four accountants – BBC News
“Britain’s four biggest accountancy firms have been heavily criticised by the Competition Commission.”
BBC News, 22nd February 2013
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
National Audit Office warns UK needs more cyber skills – BBC News
“A lack of skilled workers is hampering the UK’s fight against cyber crime, the
National Audit Office (NAO) has warned.”
BBC News, 12th February 2013
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Plan to cut spending on court interpreters leads to farce – The Independent
“A defendant dubbed a ‘pervert’ by mistake, a rabbit applying to be a Czech language specialist and solicitors using the Google Translate website to understand their clients: the debacle surrounding court interpreters has had its amusing moments.”
The Independent, 21st May 2012
Source: www.independent.co.uk
MPs publish “damning indictment” of alleged HMRC deals with big businesses – OUT-LAW.com
“There are ‘specific and systemic’ failures in the way in which HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) handles tax disputes with big companies which must be addressed, an influential committee of MPs has said.”
OUT-LAW.com, 20th December 2011
Source: www.out-law.com
Judge to examine Goldman Sachs tax deal – The Independent
“A senior judge is to be brought in to investigate a series of highly controversial tax deals which cost the Exchequer millions of pounds in lost revenue.”
The Independent, 22nd November 2011
Source: www.independent.co.uk
House of Lords report attacks ‘complacency’ of Big Four auditors in financial crisis, urges competition investigation – Daily Telegraph
“The House of Lords has recommended that Britain’s competition authorities investigate the world’s ‘Big Four’ auditing firms who failed to warn regulators about banks before the financial crash.”
Daily Telegraph 30th March 2011
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
R (Veolia ES Nottinghamshire Ltd) v Nottinghamshire County Council (Shlomo Dowen and The Audit Commission for Local Authorities and the National Health Service for England, interested parties) – WLR Daily
“The right of ‘persons interested’ under section 15(1) of the Audit Commission Act 1998 to inspect the accounts to be audited and all books, deeds, contracts, bills, vouchers and receipts relating to them did not stretch, on the facts, to examination of commercially sensitive material which was protected by art 1 of the First Protocol of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.”
WLR Daily, 2nd November 2010
Source: www.lawreports.co.uk
Please note once a case has been fully reported in one of the ICLR series the corresponding WLR Daily summary is removed.
