Landmark UK Report Details Effectiveness of Whistleblower Awards

Today, the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) released a report detailing that whistleblower awards are empirically proven to strengthen the fight against financial crime.

The report, authored by Elisa Lockhart, builds upon a growing body of research about the effectiveness of the United States’ whistleblower award programs, while also directly addressing the arguments raised against the implementation of whistleblower awards in the United Kingdom.

“The RUSI report is a timely and important study. It puts to rest the negative stereotypes that have for years harmed the implementation of effective whistleblower laws,” says leading whistleblower attorney Stephen M. Kohn of the Washington D.C. firm Kohn, Kohn & Colapinto, who has played a critical role in the drafting of U.S. whistleblower award laws and was cited in the RUSI report.

“Whistleblowing works, and it needs to play a central role in detecting and fighting corruption worldwide,” adds Kohn, who also serves as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Whistleblower Center and works to advance whistleblower legislation in the UK and across the globe.

In the U.S., whistleblower award programs offering monetary awards, anonymous reporting channels, and anti-retaliation protections to qualified whistleblowers have revolutionized white-collar crime enforcement, leading to billions of dollars in sanctions and drawing praise from leaders of the SEC, FinCEN, and DOJ. The RUSI report examined these programs and determined that a similar program in the UK could play a “pivotal role” in reducing white-collar offences.

At a London event for the launch of the report, Lockhart was joined by Nick Ephgrave, the Director of the UK Serious Fraud Office (SFO), who is advocating for the use of whistleblower awards in the UK. Ephgrave highlighted that by instituting its own whistleblower award program, the UK can incentivize whistleblowers who are currently flocking to U.S. authorities instead.

Mr. Kohn is available for further comment on the matter.

Contact Information

Geoff Schweller

Communications Director

Kohn, Kohn & Colapinto LLP

geoff.schweller@kkc.com