Juries do not delay fraud cases, report says

The piece quotes Corporate Crime & Corruption Committee Chair Louise Hodges as saying that "the root cause of the problems is “decades of underfunding and deprioritisation of anti-fraud institutions and frameworks under successive governments”.

She, it notes, backs many of Fisher’s proposals, including ring-fencing proceeds recovered through corporate fines and deferred prosecution agreements for economic crime enforcement. Hodges also supports Fisher’s call to retain juries in fraud cases, arguing that: “There is no persuasive evidence that juries cause the current pressure on the courts, or that judge-only trials would deliver substantial savings.” While doubling the maximum sentence to 20 years in prison “would send a clear message that serious fraud will be treated with the gravity it deserves”, Hodges questions whether there is enough prison space.