Serious Fraud Office (UK)

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The Serious Fraud Office is an arm of the Government of the United Kingdom, accountable to the Attorney-General. Established by the Criminal Justice Act 1987, the Serious Fraud Office is responsible for the investigation and prosecution of suspected cases of serious or complex fraud where £1 million or more are involved or covers more than one national jurisdiction, though it is rare for cases involving less than £1 million pounds to be taken. It has jurisdiction over England and Wales and Northern Ireland but not Scotland, the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands, though the Serious Fraud Office's compulsory information powers contained in section 2 of the Criminal Justice Act 1987 do so under invitation from the relevant prosecuting body.

It was established in 1988 after the Roskill Report recommended that this specialist duty be taken away from normal police forces and the Crown Prosecution Service. The report came in the wake of several failed prosecutions.

Private Eye, which often cites what it sees as toothlessness or incompetence on the part of the SFO, nearly always calls it the "Serious Farce Office" and others have dubbed it the "Seriously Flawed Office" for similar reasons.

The Director is Robert Wardle, appointed on April 21, 2003.