In a recently published case, the former wife of a convicted money launderer successfully applied for full disclosure of documents relating to her husband’s criminal actions.
She sought disclosure to support her application to have the financial order issued during her divorce proceedings set aside.
This had granted her a lump sum of £270,000.
The woman’s former husband, a solicitor, had been imprisoned for ten years six years after the financial order was granted. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) claimed his profits from criminal activities amounted to over £45 million.
The CPS and the Secretary of State both opposed the woman’s application for full disclosure on the grounds that it contained information received from foreign governments under mutual legal assistance.
But the court ruled in her favour, saying that it was important that she and the courts had an accurate picture of her husband’s assets. She undertook not to disclose the information on the documents beyond her application to set aside the financial order and any resulting application for ancillary relief.
The Court of Appeal has now granted permission to appeal and this is expected to be heard in November
