criminal-law witnesses
Is there duty to report crime that may be committed soon?
<p>Rob approaches Bob and offers him a job: to commit a certain specific crime. Bob rejects.</p>
<p><em>Question 1</em>: At this point, does Bob have any legal duty/obligation to report Rob to law enforcement authorities?</p>
<p>Some time later Bob finds out that the crime he was offered to commit has been committed by someone. Apparently, someone has accepted Rob's offer, or Rob has committed it himself.</p>
<p><em>Question 2</em>: Now, does Bob have any legal duty to report Rob?</p>
<p><em>Question 3</em>: If the answer to Question 1 is &quot;yes&quot; and Bob did not report back then, does the fact that the crime has been committed make Bob's inaction a more serious offence? Would Bob get any discounts for that offence if he reports Rob after the crime?</p>
<p>(Any jurisdiction).</p>

<p>In the UK, generally there is no duty to report crime. There are circumstances where there is a duty to report suspicious activity or 'knowledge' or 'suspicion' of a crime. These include:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>financing of terrorism</p>
</li>
<li><p>money laundering or dealing in other proceeds of crime (criminal property) or fraud in a regulated sector (e.g. solicitors, accountants, insolvency practitioners, finance, gambling)</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p>(unless the information comes to the person in 'privileged circumstances')</p>
<p>In respect of such circumstances, as soon as Bob 'knows' or 'suspects' Rob is engaged in such behaviour Bob must report this to the authorities and must not tell Rob about it (the offence of 'tipping off'). Bob commits an offence if he doesn't report it. In terms of failure to report money laundering that could lead to a maximum of five years in prison and/or a fine.</p>
<p>Depending on the circumstances an additional risk of failure to report is being perceived to have participated in the commission of the crime.</p>

<p>Under English law, Bob is under no <em>legal</em> obligation to report the approach or the alleged crime, but it could well be said that he has a <em>moral</em> duty.</p>
