A planned court in London for cases of cybercrime, fraud, and economic crime has been welcomed. Speaking to members of the senior judiciary at the Mansion House on Wednesday evening, July 4, the Lord Chancellor David Gauke, alongside the Lord Mayor Charles Bowman, and Lord Chief Justice, said that the court will be built on the site of Fleetbank House in Fleet Street in the City.
David Gauke said: “The flag of English law is flown in countries across the globe, and London already leads the way as the best place to do business and resolve disputes. 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.”
Policy Chairman of the City of London Corporation Catherine McGuinness called it a hugely significant step in a project that will give the Square Mile its second iconic courthouse after the Old Bailey. She said: “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. I’m particularly pleased that this court will have a focus on the legal issues of the future, such as fraud, economic crime, and cyber-crime. Fleet Street may historically be known for hosting newspapers, but I believe with this iconic project it will be seen as a world leading centre for legal services and justice for decades to come.”
Finalising funding by the City of London Corporation, and HM Courts and Tribunals Service, and securing planning permission mean that building is expected to be completed in 2025. The court will replace the civil court, Mayor’s and City of London County Court, and City of London Magistrates’ Court, which are owned by the City Corporation and which the Courts and Tribunals Service operate.
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Sarah Armstrong-Smith, Head Continuity and Resilience at Fujitsu UK and Ireland said: “Organisations and the Government have an obligation to collaborate to make cyber security as much of a priority as the public, who are regularly asked to hand over financial and other personal data. After all, cybercrime is not a probability, it is an inevitability. And it will be the way in which the UK prepares for it, however, that can make all the difference.
“As we have seen in the past year, cyber-attacks can set out to completely paralyse organisations, creating havoc and resulting in a complete shutdown of services. Cybercriminals are becoming increasingly bold, finding new and creative ways to reveal or steal compromising sensitive financial and personal data.
“That’s why it is promising to see new Government measures put in place to protect the nation from cybercrime.”
And Dan Pitman, senior solutions architect at cyber product company Alert Logic, welcomed the announcement. He said: “Cyber crime suffers from being perceptually segregated from traditional crime from the viewpoint of the public, and victims often don’t even contact legal and law enforcement organisations when affected. Specifically calling out Fleetbank House’s new role in that space will drive home that cyber crime is just that – crime.”
