University’s Law School Academics Launch Book

Law book launch

Chris and Nicola Monaghan, both Senior Lecturers in the University’s School of Law, devised the book, Financial Crime and Corporate Misconduct: A Critical Evaluation of Fraud Legislation.

They co-edited and wrote chapters themselves for the book, which features contributions from fellow School of Law colleagues, Bill Davies and Stephen Hurley, along with academics from other universities, and practising or retired legal professionals, including a former circuit judge.

Chris Monaghan said: “This book is a product of the hard work of many people and we were fortunate to work with a strong team of contributors who have helped to put together an account of the Fraud Act 2006 on its 10th anniversary.  The book will appeal to academics, legal practitioners and law students, as it brings together a large number of experts to explore many different areas of fraud legislation. The book raises some important questions about how the law deals with fraud and offers a timely review of how the Fraud Act 2006 has worked since it came into force.”

The book was the result of a workshop organised by the University of Worcester in its School of Law’s inaugural year in 2016/2017 to mark the 10th anniversary of the Fraud Act 2006.  Many of the 16 essays from contributors originated from the papers presented at this event. 

The book offers a critical evaluation of fraud legislation and a review of the Fraud Act 2006, looking at the measures introduced in the last decade to combat financial crime, fraud and white-collar offences, how the Act has been applied by the courts, the type of prosecutions that have taken place and its effectiveness.  Published by Routledge, the book is part of its Law of Financial Crime Series.

At the book’s formal launch, His Honour Toby Hooper QC, a retired circuit judge, who provided the foreword for the book and a chapter, said: “It was a very great privilege for me to be invited to contribute the foreword and a chapter on the judge’s perspective of the impact of the Fraud Act 2006.”

Judge Hooper stressed the book’s timeliness and its “probably enduring importance to the study and application of the law of fraud”.  He added: “It is a significant contribution to discussion about the law of fraud because the contributors are drawn both from the practice of the law and from university teaching and research.”

Judge Hooper also spoke of the University’s recent top UK ranking for Quality Education in the Times Higher Education’s (THE) new rankings on the contribution made by universities around the world to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. 

“To me the University represents a significant benefit to the wider community as well as to those involved in its teaching and learning,” said Judge Hooper.

Worcester’s Law degree, which launched in 2016, received a 96% satisfaction rating from its very first cohort of graduating students in the latest National Student Survey (NSS), putting it as the top ranked university nationally for Law, and was also rated 19th in the Guardian University Guide’s Law School rankings.

The book is available on sale now.