Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation Ltd (ENRC) has been granted permission to appeal the controversial ruling in Serious Fraud Office (SFO) v Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation Ltd [2017] EWHC 1017 (QB) which sent shock waves through the legal profession earlier this year.
The appealed decision held that certain documents generated during an internal investigation conducted by lawyers into allegations of bribery and corruption were not protected by litigation privilege, and therefore could be used by the SFO in the prosecution of alleged offenders. With corporations being encouraged to police their operations and to put in place systems to protect them from abuse, the decision was seen as unhelpful by some in that it might discourage openness within organisations and restrict access to legal advice.