RCPO payments questioned by lawyers

Date: 6th October 2009

Bonus pay for tax fraud officials might result in justice being "skew[ed]", lawyers have claimed.

The Revenue & Customs Prosecution Office (RCPO) has a payments system for staff that is partly linked to how many assets are confiscated from defendants, the Times reported.

Experts expressed concerns over the system, suggesting that the targets could prove ultimately counterproductive.

Speaking to the newspaper, top barrister Sir Ivan Lawrence QC commented: "Once you start setting targets you are saying, 'Never mind justice.'

"Bodies like RCPO have to make a judgment on the cases they pursue - if they make that judgment on the basis that they will receive a lot of money, it calls into question whether justice is going to be done."

The system has also been criticised by Criminal Law Week recently.

RCPO deals with a range of tax offences, including non-payment of VAT.

It retains the power to seize the homes of fraudsters.