Anti-money laundering law: socio-legal perspectives on the effectiveness of German practices

More about the book

In the wake of significant leaks like the Panama Papers and Swiss leaks, this book provides a compelling examination of the conflicting interests that hinder effective legislation against money laundering within the financial system. It argues that the goals behind criminalizing money laundering remain unfulfilled. The assessment of Germany's anti-money laundering regime considers indirect effects, collateral consequences, and both the law's action and inaction, highlighting that reducing the issue to mere symbolic effectiveness oversimplifies the complexities involved. The findings suggest that the regime's objectives were overly ambitious, leading to an acceptance of lower effectiveness to accommodate political, economic, and financial conflicts. Unlike other works on this topic, the focus here is on the implementation of legislation and its consequences. The book is aimed at legal sociologists, sociology of law researchers, criminal lawyers, criminologists interested in white-collar crime, and political scientists studying measures against illicit financial flows. It also serves as a valuable resource for policymakers and consultants, particularly those in Germany working to enhance strategies against organized crime and to prevent terrorism financing through money laundering.