Money Laundering Crime in a Legal Comparative Perspective. Considerations of Comparative Law Against the Background of Legal Systems of the Selected European, Asian and the American Continent Countries

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to expound the reasons for systematic growth of the money laundering crime, as well as its variations and chosen aspects of the attempt stadial form. Regardless of legal culture perspective, the complex of features required as an element of analyzed offence is, as a rule, comparable or at least similar. Hitherto a numerous of normative regulations at national and supranational level has been presented and implemented. Thoughtful, consistent and intransigent legal strategy of anti-money laundering in different countries (e.g. in the Republic of India or in the People’s Republic of Bangladesh) resulted in a noticeable reduction of the scope of the described practice. Of all the twelve analyzed countries, in the author’s assessment, the best anti-money laundering legal solutions characterized the Kingdom of Norway. Partially, beyond the outstanding substantive law, this favorable position was achieved thanks to mixed character of Norway’s legal culture. In addition, the complex of features of analyzed offence is not too narrow or too wide. In the Norwegian penal code there is no question of superfluous casuistry. On the other side, author contrasted anti-money laundering legislation of the Russian Federation and of the Ukraine. The Russian and Ukrainian legislation in subject of criminal law is erratic, the complex of features required as an element of analyzed offence is too wide and what more, a numerous groups of entities are excluded from the action of specified provisions of positive law. Thus, the Russian Federation is gradually becoming a central entity of European money laundering issue.