Lunchtime seminar: Prosecutions under the Modern Slavery Act

The Modern Slavery Act 2015 was introduced to consolidate offences, improve victim protection, and enhance the UK’s ability to prosecute those responsible for human trafficking and modern slavery offences. But despite increased public and professional awareness and a growing number of National Referral Mechanism (NRM) referrals, prosecution and conviction rates under this legislation remain low. What are the reasons for it and what barriers do survivors face to achieve justice?

Online event looking at barriers to prosecutions and convictions under the Modern Slavery Act 2015 from 14 May 2025, with Dr Alicia Heys, a Senior Lecturer in Modern Slavery at the Wilberforce Institute at the University of Hull, Co-Investigator of the Modern Slavery and Human Rights Policy and Evidence Centre (at the University of Oxford) on behalf of Hull University. The event is based on research published on 9 May 2025, which you can read on the Modern Slavery PEC website.