UK govt announces specialized cybercrime court in London
It is just a matter of time until specialized courts for cybercrime cases pop up, and the UK is already working on one. The new court will be located in the heart of the City of London, in a new building that is expected to be completed by 2025.
Purpose-built court
“Developed in partnership with the City of London Corporation and the judiciary, the cutting edge, purpose-built court, which will also deal with business and property work as well as civil cases, will hold 18 modern courtrooms and replace the ageing civil court, Mayor’s and City of London County Court, and City of London Magistrates’ Court. Also included in the court will be a new City of London police station,” the Ministry of Justice and Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service announced.
“This state-of-the-art court is a further message to the world that Britain both prizes business and stands ready to deal with the changing nature of 21st century crime,” Lord Chancellor David Gauke noted.
Legal issues of the future
In 2016, the National Crime Agency (NCA) assessed that computer misuse and cyber enabled fraud accounted for 53% of all crimes in the UK.
The Office for National Statistics said that 4.7 million incidents of fraud and computer misuse were experienced by adults aged 16 and over in England and Wales between July 2016 and September 2017.
Attacks against UK business were also numerous and led to great losses.
Also, English law is currently used in 40% of all global corporate arbitrations, and more than 200 foreign law firms currently have offices in the UK, so it makes sense to create a dedicated cybercrime court in London.
“Our rule of law is one of the many reasons why London is the world’s most innovative, dynamic, and international financial centre, and this new court will add to our many existing strengths,” noted Catherine McGuinness, Policy Chairman of the City of London Corporation.
“I’m particularly pleased that this court will have a focus on the legal issues of the future, such as fraud, economic crime, and cybercrime.”