These Regulations bring into force certain provisions of the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018 (c.13) (“the Act”). Section 49 of, and Schedule 2 to, the Act enable the Treasury or the Secretary of State to make regulations relating to the detection, investigation or prevention of money laundering and terrorist financing. Section 51 of the Act relates to publicly accessible registers of beneficial ownership of companies in British overseas territories. The remaining provisions of the Act brought into force by these Regulations all relate to the repeal of Part 1 of the Terrorist Asset-Freezing etc. Act 2010 (c.38).

Certain provisions of the Act came into force on Royal Assent by virtue of section 64(1) of the Act and others were brought into force by the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018 (Commencement No. 1) Regulations 2018.