From economic crime to every crime: how the Crime and Policing Act 2026 will transform corporate criminal liability

Publication|

20 May 2026

Tucked away in section 250 is the previously announced amendment to corporate criminal liability (CCL) as enacted in the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (ECCTA), extending it from certain economic crimes only as set out in the ECCTA to all criminal activity. Once the section comes into force on 29 June 2026, the references to economic crimes in ECCTA will be repealed and in-scope companies and partnerships may be held criminally liable where a "senior manager" commits any type of crime whilst acting within the actual or apparent scope of their authority.

In this briefing we look at what this extension means for businesses and consider the steps they can take to reduce their exposure to risk.

Comment

This extension to the basis of corporate criminal liability is intended to make it easier to prosecute a company for criminal misconduct and has been long-awaited by prosecutors. However, key questions remain. What exactly is included in the “senior manager” role? How far might the “actual or apparent scope of their authority” extend? And when will it be in the public interest to prosecute a company for crimes which its leaders did not authorise and from which it did not benefit? Only time will tell.

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