News

Enforcement of sanctions breaches

14 May 2026

The government has published its strategic approach to enforcing breaches of UK sanctions. It outlines key enforcement principles and the potential consequences of non-compliance.

The cross-government review sets out the approach to sanctions enforcement and emphasises the importance of strong compliance. It also summarises the roles of key government departments, regulators and enforcement bodies. An annex outlines the framework for licensing and reporting routes across the different sanctions.

Compliance officers should take particular note of the risk-based approach to enforcement set out under 'Civil enforcement: mitigating and aggravating factors'. Among other measures, firms can protect their position and mitigate the effects of a breach by having proportionate levels of due diligence in place and by making timely voluntary disclosures.