Financial Intelligence, the Exchange of Information and Tackling Financial Crime in the United Kingdom: A Critical Review

Nicholas Ryder

ISBN: 9781509968909

Published: May 2026

Format: Hardcover

Language: English

Publisher: Hart Publishing

Description

This book examines the international standards relating to information exchange, identifying its importance in combatting money laundering, terrorist financing and fraud. Its publication follows the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) rating the UK's anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing regimes as amongst the best in the world in its fourth Mutual Evaluation Report.

The book offers an alternative review through case studies on money laundering, terrorist financing and general fraud. These illustrate the importance of information exchange and highlight flaws in the UK's legal framework, challenging the conclusions of the FATF. Drawing on this analysis, it then sets out recommendations for reform.

Key Features

• Critical review of the UK's financial intelligence framework against international standards on information exchange.
• Alternative evaluation of the FATF's fourth Mutual Evaluation Report on the UK's AML/CTF regimes, challenging its conclusions.
• Case studies on money laundering, terrorist financing and fraud showing the importance of information exchange and the flaws in the UK legal framework.
• Concrete recommendations for reform.
• Practical applications: benchmarking AML/CTF information-sharing arrangements against FATF standards, informing policy reform and mutual-evaluation preparation, and supporting teaching and research on financial crime and law enforcement cooperation.

Coverage

• The Financial Action Task Force, its Recommendations and assessment methodology.
• The United Kingdom's fourth Mutual Evaluation Report, reviewed from an alternative viewpoint.
• Money laundering, terrorist financing and fraud, each examined in a dedicated chapter.
• Conclusions and recommendations for reform of the UK framework.

About the Authors

Nicholas Ryder is Professor in Financial Crime at the School of Law and Politics, Cardiff University, UK. He has published widely on financial crime, including The Financial Crisis and White Collar Crime: The Perfect Storm?

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. The Financial Action Task Force, its Recommendations and Methodology
3. The United Kingdom's Fourth Mutual Evaluation Report - An Alternative View
4. Money Laundering
5. Terrorist Financing
6. Fraud
7. Conclusions and Recommendations

Why buy this book?

It tests a widely praised verdict, that the UK's AML/CTF regime is among the best in the world, against practice. For compliance teams, regulators, law enforcement bodies and researchers, it shows where the exchange of financial information works, where it breaks down, and what legal change could fix it.

Keywords

financial intelligence, exchange of information, financial crime, money laundering, terrorist financing, fraud, FATF, mutual evaluation report, anti-money laundering, AML/CTF, United Kingdom, law enforcement cooperation

Target Audience

Compliance officers, Financial regulators, Legal Academics

Genre

Financial Crime, Anti-Money Laundering, Financial Law

Q&A

What does this book argue about the UK's anti-money laundering regime?
It challenges the FATF's fourth Mutual Evaluation Report, which rated the UK's AML/CTF regimes among the best in the world, and uses case studies to show flaws in the UK's legal framework for exchanging information.

Why does the exchange of information matter in tackling financial crime?
The book identifies information exchange as central to combatting money laundering, terrorist financing and fraud, and examines the international standards that govern it.

Which areas of financial crime does the book cover?
It has dedicated chapters on money laundering, terrorist financing and fraud, each used to test how the UK framework works in practice.

Does the book make recommendations for reform?
Yes. The final chapter draws on the case studies to set out conclusions and recommendations for reform of the UK framework.

Who is this book for?
Compliance officers, financial regulators, law enforcement and policy specialists, and academics and students of financial crime and financial law.

Where can I buy Financial Intelligence, the Exchange of Information and Tackling Financial Crime in the United Kingdom: A Critical Review?
You can order it from CLNZ Books (clnzbooks.com), a specialist bookseller based in Auckland, New Zealand. The price includes worldwide shipping, and we accept card, PayPal and international bank transfer, with institutional invoicing available.

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