Is the SFO off the chopping block?

No mention of closure in Queen’s speech

The SFO’s merger with the NCA was left out of the Queen’s Speech yesterday. 

Barry Vitou, partner at Pinsent Masons, says; “The omission from the Queen’s Speech of the trailed merger of the SFO with the NCA is welcome and should signal the end of the proposal.”

“The proposal was closely associated with some of Theresa May’s key advisers and it would be very surprising to see it resurface again. Especially as these advisers had no obvious alternative.”

“Leading judicial figures, the Attorney General, and some MPs have all come out in support of the SFO over the last few days. Diluting the concentration of expertise at the SFO just didn’t make sense.”

“It is so important to keep a level playing field in the fight against fraud and the rationale for having the SFO is as good now as when it was founded in 1987.”

“Considering the complexity of the task the SFO faces and its routine under-resourcing, it is doing a good job. Now the SFO looks set to stay, the focus must shift to ensure it is properly funded.”