Sir, – The Government’s latest proposals for fighting white-collar crime don’t go half far enough given the scale and complexity of the problem and singular failure of the current system to efficiently investigate and successfully prosecute cases.
For example, the measures fail to facilitate class actions and champerty; to make reckless lending a crime; or to extend the statute of limitations. In addition, they could have permitted rewards to bona fide whistleblowers, granted immunity to “first confessors”, allowed plea bargaining, placed onus of proof on defendants and made perjury a crime.
More far-reaching measures could have included a white-collar criminal court, extending the use of the civil standard of proof and providing for punitive damages at corporate and individual levels. – Yours, etc,
BRIAN FLANAGAN,
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Blackrock, Co Dublin.