On 27 July 2022, the FCA published its long-awaited new Consumer Duty which will come into force from 31 July 2023. This will take the form of a new Principle 12 supported by various cross-cutting rules.
Published on 22 September, the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill is the second significant legislative development of this type in 2022 (following the Economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) Act 2022, which was speedily enacted following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine).
The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 ‘the Act’ has correctly attracted much criticism since it was introduced as a Bill to the House of Commons in the March of 2021. There are numerous and alarming issues raised for civil liberties raised by this legislation which are beyond the scope of this post (see here for further commentary). Nonetheless, there is one aspect of the Act (which received Royal Assent on 28 April 2022) that can be welcomed: the expansion of the scheme for disregarding convictions or cautions received for historical consensual same-sex sexual activity.