Criminal activity

In this lesson

1. 0:00 Criminal activity in company law overview
2. 0:15 Accounting offences and record-keeping crimes
3. 1:03 False solvency declarations and director duties
4. 1:17 Abuse of position in trusted roles
5. 2:13 Liquidation offences and misconduct
6. 3:07 Phoenix company practices and illegality
7. 5:00 Criminal Finance Act and tax evasion prevention
8. 6:23 Deferred prosecution agreements explained

About this lesson

Understanding these offences is essential for your Corporate and Business Law paper, as examiners test your ability to identify when directors, accountants, and organisations cross legal boundaries. The video covers criminal offences under company law, including failing to submit timely accounts, maintaining inadequate records, making false declarations to auditors, and misusing business names without approval. You'll explore how directors can commit crimes through false solvency declarations, and how trusted positions—such as those held by accountants—can be abused when individuals misappropriate funds or assets entrusted to their care. You'll also examine misconduct during liquidation, including the illegal practice of Phoenix companies, where directors strip assets and restart trading under a new entity to avoid creditor claims. The lesson then moves to the Criminal Finance Act 2017, which places a legal duty on relevant bodies like accountancy firms to prevent tax evasion by clients. Finally, you'll learn about deferred prosecution agreements under the Crime and Courts Act 2013, which allow organisations to resolve criminal investigations without formal prosecution, provided they repay any gains and satisfy the court that the agreement serves the interests of justice.

Duration: 9m