Criminal offences are increasingly being included in financial regulatory statutes and dozens of new legislations. These include initiatives covering privacy, data protection, competition law, intellectual property, food safety, foreign exchange regulation, tax, securities, insolvency and almost everything else from airports to zoos.

The incursion of criminal law into regulatory regimes underscores the state’s inability to achieve compliance with the rule of law without stiff penalties. This panel will explore the above issues, and whether basic rights are compromised. Are these useful to discourage the commission of an offence by fugitive offenders, non-resident and untethered entities? Or do these laws serve to harass undertrials and innocent individuals?