Unexplained Wealth Orders in the UK: What Will This Year Bring?

When it comes to unexplained wealth orders (UWOs), the UK’s much-vaunted tool to tackle criminal wealth, 2020 was a rollercoaster. It saw the National Crime Agency’s (NCA) first failure to defend in court the issuance of several UWOs against properties owned by a politically connected Kazakh family, but also its first success in confiscating £10 million worth of real estate from an alleged organised crime figure who was compelled to explain his wealth. Now that UWOs have moved from the realm of theory to practice, their potential and limitations are increasingly apparent, although still widely misunderstood. It is inevitable that more UWOs will follow this year, and clarity about what they are and what they do is key to keeping both successes and setbacks in proper perspective.