One of the fastest growing and most controversial areas of crime – from white collar high value fraud to the laundering of the proceeds of drug dealing, money laundering is a necessary activity for the successful criminal.

Hand in hand with this goes counter-terror financing. The similarities and differences must be understood to dictate the strategies employed to neutralise criminal activity.

The ability of states to cut the purse strings of terror organisations is fundamental to the fight against extremist terrorist activity of any nature. Gaining an understanding of the typologies of money laundering and terror financing, as well as the challenges and pitfalls of dealing with cross-border offending, is crucial.

During this weekend, we will hear from academics, practitioners and the judiciary as to the issues that are encountered in this field. Both arms of this topic are driven by our treaty obligations and our compliance with International Legal instruments. Our jurisdiction’s reputation and the reality of our successes in this field are often surprisingly dissonant. A country wanting to look pro-commerce yet tight in terms of regulation immediately belies a tension for lawmakers and law enforcement to grapple with.

The flexibility that is needed to engage with multiple scenarios to target the proceeds of crime leads to the need for offences drawn widely in varied forms.

A discussion panel will take place to discuss the features of practice in this field. There will also be presentations from stakeholders to provide context and shed light on their experiences.

An advocacy masterclass will deal with cash seizure in a magistrates court – a quasi civil / criminal procedure that is the bread and butter of junior counsel. The weekend materials will explore the improvements in technique that can be achieved in fast time using a demonstration relevant to the subject matter of the weekend.