The UK government has launched a consultation on rewarding whistleblowers who report economic crime such as fraud and bribery.
The government’s move would bring Britain closer to the US model, where financial incentives are used to encourage whistleblowers who provide evidence that helps uncover wrongdoing. The plans are being developed by the Serious Fraud Office as part of the whistleblowing framework in the Employment Rights Act.
However, the SFO has jurisdiction only in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, not Scotland. Under the proposed incentive scheme, though, individuals could be eligible for a financial reward regardless of where they are located or where the information originated, provided they meet the scheme’s eligibility criteria.
The UK has debated for a long time whether whistleblowers should be paid for information. Last year, the tax authority HM Revenue & Customs offered informants up to 30 per cent of the tax recovered in major tax cases for speaking out, as part of the country’s first US-style reward scheme.
Under the proposals set out in its public consultation, whistleblowers would receive a reward only if the information they provide is significant and original, and leads to a conviction or enforcement action. The government has proposed that rewards be funded from the penalties imposed on companies and calculated as a percentage of the amount recovered. The consultation will close on January 8, 2027.
It comes after a July 2026 review of fraud...
Jared Kushner’s attorney says his legal team has formally put Vanity Fair and its parent company, Condé Nast, on notice over allegations about President Donald Trump’s son-in-law that the lawyer ch...