The Modern Slavery Act 2015, the first statute of its kind in Europe, received Royal Assent on 26 March 2015. It creates an obligation on commercial entities to disclose their supply chains so as ensure the absence of slavery and trafficking.
In particular, section 54 of the Act requires a commercial organisation that supplies goods or services to prepare a slavery and human trafficking statement for each financial year. This obligation applies if the organisation has a total turnover of not less than an amount prescribed by regulations to be made by the Secretary of State.
The declaration entails a statement of the steps that the organisation has taken during the financial year to ensure that slavery and human trafficking are not taking place in any of its supply chains and in any part of its own business, or alternatively a statement that the organisation has taken no such steps.
This disclosure duty is enforceable by the Secretary of State by way of civil proceedings in the High Court for an injunction or, in Scotland, for specific performance of a statutory duty under section 45 of the Court of Session Act 1988.
