The UK government continues to prioritise combatting modern slavery risks while also extending reporting deadlines amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

By Clare Nida

On 20 April 2020, the UK government published guidance for companies on how to approach their Modern Slavery Act statements during the COVID-19 pandemic. The government has stressed that businesses should continue to identify and address risks of modern slavery in their operations and supply chains; however, businesses can delay publishing their statements by up to six months without penalty, if necessary, because of the pandemic. The government also provided recommended mitigation measures for areas of increased modern slavery risk.

By Paul Davies, Jumana Rahman and Michael Green

26 March 2017 marked two years since the introduction of the Modern Slavery Act 2015.  As the signature legislation of the then Home Secretary (Theresa May – now Prime Minister), it heralded greater focus on an issue that impacts many around the world.  The Modern Slavery Act was also a further acceleration of legislative and other requirements and drivers for large corporations to undertake heightened diligence in respect of its supply chains.

By Jumana Rahman and Clare Nida

The UK is at the forefront of the global move to tackle human trafficking and prevent modern forms of slavery by introducing the Modern Slavery Act 2015 earlier this year. The new transparency reporting provisions, in force as of the end of October 2015, require companies with a total turnover of £36 million or more (calculated by taking into account the turnover of the organisation and its subsidiary undertakings) to report on the steps