Law of financial crime

LWM17

This course exists due to the large number of requests for it by students. In the wake of the recent global financial crisis a huge amount of financial crime has been exposed to view ranging from the Bernard Madoff collapse right through to the PPI mis-selling scandal and the prosecutions for insider dealing. This has become a very hot topic and a fascinating time to study not just how the law works in the UK but also how should the criminal law, financial market practice and financial regulation all interact. In this course we will also be investigating where criminal law works better and where financial regulation works better when tackling the kinds of abusive practices that we are concerned about. We will also discuss the line between what is criminal and what is unethical and where that boundary should be. One of the strengths of this course is that you are not just learning the law, and you aren’t just learning how to use that law in practice. You’re also reflecting on what that law means and where that law will go in the future.

Study as an individual course

[Please note: this course replaces 'Fraud, corruption and money laundering']

Module A: Insider dealing and market abuse

LWM17A

The principal offence of insider dealing
Other insider dealing offences
The regulation of market abuse by the FCA
The rationale for criminalising insider dealing.

Module B: Fraud and market manipulation

LWM17B

Market manipulation
Fraud under the Fraud Act 2006
Theft in financial transactions
The practical difficulties of policing fraud in financial markets.

Module C: Money laundering

LWM17C

Money laundering under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002
Other money laundering offences
The regulation of money laundering
The policy underpinning money-laundering law.

Module D: The nature of the law on financial crime

LWM17D

The objectives of the law on financial crime
The criminal law and financial regulation
Theoretical justifications for recovery of property derived from crime
Offshoring and international financial crime.

Assessment

Each module will be assessed by a 45-minute unseen written examination.

Sequence

It is strongly recommended you complete Module A, B and C before Module D.

How to apply

You can apply to study a module individually as a standalone unit or as part of a Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Diploma or Master of Laws qualification. (In either scenario, they must be studied in order.)

These modules also contribute towards the following specialist pathways for Laws:

Banking and Finance Law
Commercial and Corporate Law
Common Law
Corporate and Securities Law
Criminology and Criminal Justice
Economic Regulation
Financial Services Law
International Business Law
International Criminal Justice.

Apply via Postgraduate Laws

Study Material

Study material: Law of financial crime

Professor Alastair Hudson

Professor Alastair Hudson FHEA, FRSA, is the Course Convenor for: Commercial Trusts Law, Securities Law, Equity and Trust in Context, International and Comparative Trusts Law, Law on Investment Entities, Private Aspects of the Law and Finance and Law of Financial Crime.

Alastair is an English barrister and academic. He was Professor of Equity & Law at Queen Mary University of London for fourteen years. Between 2012 and 2014, he was Professor of Equity and Finance Law at The University of Southampton. He is a National Teaching Fellow, a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. He was voted UK Law Teacher of the Year in 2008 and was awarded the Excellence in Teaching Award 2014 by the University of Southampton for "Overall Outstanding Lecturer."