Correspondence

Independent Review of Disclosure and Fraud Offences: update July 2025

Published 3 July 2025

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/independent-review-of-disclosure-and-fraud-offences-part-2-updates/independent-review-of-disclosure-and-fraud-offences-update-july-2025

Progress update

Since commencing Part Two of my Independent Review into Fraud, I have continued to engage extensively with stakeholders across the criminal justice system.

Several critical issues have emerged:

  • There is growing interest in the potential role of whistleblowing as a tool for early detection and disruption of fraud, particularly in complex and high-value cases.

  • There are strong views on the need to ensure that sentencing reflects the gravity of fraud offences. In the most serious cases, the financial and emotional harm to victims can be profound and enduring.

  • While the roles of technology companies, telecoms providers, financial institutions, and law enforcement agencies remain central to the system’s overall effectiveness, legislative and cultural shifts will be required to drive meaningful change.

Additionally, in line with my terms of reference, I am continuing to consider whether:

  • the Fraud Act 2006 remains fit for purpose for the prosecution of internet-enabled fraud, and whether any additional offences or other measures are required.

  • there is greater scope for the involvement of formalised partnerships between the public sector and the private sector in combating fraud;

  • any changes are needed to the way in which fraud cases are handled in the criminal courts.

Over the past several months, I have met with more than 120 individuals, including law enforcement officers, prosecutors, judges, defence practitioners, academics, victims’ advocates, and representatives from the private sector. These discussions have provided a rich and detailed picture of the challenges we face in tackling fraud, which now accounts for an estimated 43% of all crime in England and Wales.[footnote 1] As I move towards forming my recommendations, I will convene an expert panel to test and refine the proposals.

My intention is to submit a final report to the Home Secretary by the end of the year. The report will set out a clear and actionable roadmap for reform—one that strengthens our collective ability to prevent, detect, and prosecute fraud in the digital age.

Jonathan Fisher KC

Chair, Independent Review of Disclosure and Fraud Offences

  1. Office for National Statistics - Crime Survey for England and Wales: year ending December 2024 ↩

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