Modern Slavery Act 2015
The Modern Slavery Act 2015 consolidated and strengthened the law on slavery, servitude, forced labour, and human trafficking in England and Wales. The Act created a single consolidated offence of slavery, servitude, forced or compulsory labour, and a separate offence of human trafficking. It also established the office of the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner, created Slavery and Trafficking Prevention Orders and Risk Orders, and introduced provisions for the protection of victims. The Act’s transparency in supply chain provisions (section 54) require commercial organisations to report on steps taken to ensure modern slavery is not occurring in their supply chains. The Act has been praised as pioneering but criticised for low prosecution rates.
Legal area: Criminal law defines conduct prohibited by the state and prescribes punishments for those who engage in such conduct, serving to maintain public order and protect individuals and property.
Citation: Modern Slavery Act 2015 (2015 c 30)
Full text: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2015/30
Key Provisions
- Section 1: Slavery, servitude, and forced or compulsory labour
- Section 2: Human trafficking (arranging, facilitating, transporting)
- Section 14: Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner
- Section 45: Defence for victims of slavery or trafficking (compelled to commit offence)
- Section 54: Transparency in supply chains (annual statement requirement)
- Schedule 3: Trafficking and exploitation prevention orders
Significance
The Modern Slavery Act 2015 placed the UK at the forefront of global efforts to combat modern slavery. Section 54’s supply chain transparency requirement was pioneering and has been emulated in other jurisdictions including Australia and California. The Act has been criticised for low prosecution numbers (fewer than 10 convictions in its first five years) and for the section 54 duty being too weak (requiring only a statement, not mandatory due diligence). The Government’s Independent Review of the Modern Slavery Act in 2019 made 80 recommendations. The Act has been supplemented by the National Referral Mechanism for victim identification and support.