The Money Laundering Regulations 2003

Internal reporting proceduresU.K.

7.—(1) A must maintain internal reporting procedures which require that—

(a)a person in A’s organisation is nominated to receive disclosures under this regulation (“the nominated officer”);

(b)anyone in A’s organisation to whom information or other matter comes in the course of relevant business as a result of which he knows or suspects or has reasonable grounds for knowing or suspecting that a person is engaged in money laundering must, as soon as is practicable after the information or other matter comes to him, disclose it to the nominated officer or a person authorised for the purposes of these Regulations by the Director General of the [F1Serious Organised Crime Agency];

(c)where a disclosure is made to the nominated officer, he must consider it in the light of any relevant information which is available to A and determine whether it gives rise to such knowledge or suspicion or such reasonable grounds for knowledge or suspicion; and

(d)where the nominated officer does so determine, the information or other matter must be disclosed to a person authorised for the purposes of these Regulations by the Director General of the [F2Serious Organised Crime Agency].

(2) Paragraph (1) does not apply where A is an individual who neither employs nor acts in association with any other person.

(3) Paragraph (1)(b) does not apply in relation to a professional legal adviser where the information or other matter comes to him in privileged circumstances.

(4) Information or other matter comes to a professional legal adviser in privileged circumstances if it is communicated or given to him—

(a)by (or by a representative of) a client of his in connection with the giving by the adviser of legal advice to the client;

(b)by (or by a representative of) a person seeking legal advice from the adviser; or

(c)by a person in connection with legal proceedings or contemplated legal proceedings.

(5) But paragraph (4) does not apply to information or other matter which is communicated or given with the intention of furthering a criminal purpose.

(6) “Professional legal adviser” includes any person in whose hands information or other matter may come in privileged circumstances.