On June 27, the Serious Fraud Office and Director of Public Prosecutions launched a consultation on DPAs, which are being introduced under the Crime and Courts Act 2013 in February 2014.

DPAs are US-style voluntary agreements between prosecutors and companies whereby a company is charged with a criminal offense (e.g. bribery or fraud) but proceedings are automatically suspended provided the company comes to an agreement with the prosecutor, usually involving a financial penalty, payment of compensation and/or co-operation with future prosecutions of individuals. Consultation Document.