Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner - report on The Modern Slavery Act 2015 statutory defence
Today The Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner, Dame Sara Thornton, has publishes her review: The Modern Slavery Act 2015 statutory defence: A call for evidence.
In her first Strategic Plan 2019-2021, the Commissioner set out her commitment to work with criminal justice agencies to gain a better understanding of what was happening on the ground in respect of the use of the statutory defence provided by s.45 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015. A call for evidence was launched in January 2020 and received over 100 responses and 200 cases. The cases were analysed and a number of experts interviewed. Two round table discussions were held, one on criminal justice processes the other on the child protection issues that had emerged.
The report makes 10 recommendations