ABSTRACT

There are three distinct jurisdictions in UK law: England and Wales; Scotland; and Northern Ireland. On criminal fraud legislation, there are some differences but also where possible the legal entities have tried to set equivalents in place. Anti-cartel legislation and the opening up of competition through procurement regulations initiated by the European Parliament in Brussels pulled the UK into a potentially less corrupt environment for public sector procurement in particular. Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA) is the one Act that those in the public service always need to bear in mind in carrying out any investigation into fraud or corruption. It defines appropriate and inappropriate actions during the course of an investigation in two key areas, first, the interception of communications and second, the use of a covert human intelligence source. The Prevention of Social Housing Fraud Act 2013 is recent criminal legislation designed to tackle a specific problem faced by many local authorities.