The Dame Linda Dobbs Review
Dame Linda Dobbs DBE has been appointed by Lloyds Banking Group ("LBG") to consider whether the issues relating to HBOS Reading were investigated and appropriately reported to authorities at the time by LBG, following its acquisition of HBOS.
The independent legal assessment will cover the period following HBOS’s acquisition by LBG, in January 2009, through to the conclusion of criminal proceedings commenced against six individuals in connection with the HBOS Reading fraud. In addition, the Review will examine relevant evidence from before 2009 in order to assess what LBG knew or should reasonably have known about what happened at HBOS Reading by the time of the acquisition.
Dame Linda's appointment was announced by LBG on 26 April 2017. LBG's announcement is available here.
A message from Dame Linda Dobbs to Witnesses – September 2024
Some of you may have seen recent media coverage about the progress of my Review and, for those who have not, I wish to give you an update.
I am deeply sympathetic to the concerns and frustrations of the HBOS Reading victims who are waiting for the outcome of my Review. Even before I was appointed, I know that many of you felt you had already waited far too long for your voices to be heard.
You will also know that serious allegations have been raised about the adequacy and independence of past investigations.
Consequently, from the outset I have been determined to conduct a comprehensive, impartial inquiry and reach robust conclusions. That means we cannot take shortcuts. I need to follow where the evidence leads.
At its core, I am tasked with establishing what Lloyds Banking Group knew about issues relating to HBOS Reading, what it ought to have known and whether anyone deliberately covered up information. The task involves analysing the conduct of both the bank as a corporate entity and of the individuals working there (and acting on behalf of the bank) over an extended period.
I have received oral and written evidence from a substantial number of witnesses and considered hundreds of thousands of documents covering an evidential period spanning approximately two decades. Because I do not have statutory powers to compel witnesses to attend and give evidence, I have had to adapt around the commitments of witnesses. Separately, the process for obtaining written witness evidence has been particularly time-consuming. My Review has analysed a considerable volume of documents containing legal advice between lawyers and their clients. These documents are normally confidential and covered by legal professional privilege (LPP) and the process for handling them is complex.
None of this is any consolation to those of you who are waiting for my report but I hope it helps explain the scale of the task. We are now coming towards the end of the evidence gathering phase but there is still a significant amount of work to be done in drawing it all together and reaching my final conclusions.
I will explain in detail in my Report how I have gone about conducting the Review and the challenges that have led it to take longer than I had hoped. My team and I are working hard to complete the outstanding work so that I can deliver my Report as soon as possible.
Dame Linda Dobbs
Scope of the Review
Dame Linda will assess whether, between 19 January 2009 and 30 January 2017, information about issues relating to HBOS Reading which LBG knew, or should have known about through reasonable diligence, was properly investigated and appropriately reported to the relevant authorities. As part of this assessment, the Review will examine relevant evidence from before 2009 in order to assess what LBG knew or should reasonably have known about what happened at HBOS Reading by the time of the acquisition.
Further detail as to the Scope of the Review is available here.
Guide to the Review
To view a copy of the guide, click here.
Contact the Review
The Review welcomes comment and submissions from interested parties. Evidence or information relevant to the inquiry should be submitted directly via email to info@dobbsreview.com.
A copy of Dame Linda's announcement inviting submissions is available here.
Announcements
A message from Dame Linda Dobbs to Witnesses - May 2022 and previous messages can be found here.
NDAs and Confidentiality Agreements
LBG’s clear position is that anyone with relevant information can provide it to the Review. The confirmation letter is available here.
About Dame Linda Dobbs
Dame Linda was the first non-white High Court judge to be appointed in the UK and before that she was a leading barrister and QC, specializing in fraud and white collar crime cases. Her professional biography is available here.
Media enquiries
All media enquiries concerning the Review should be addressed to:
Peter Wilson-Smith +44 (0)20 7043 4604 or +44 (0)7979 526152
pws@meritusconsultants.com
Jimmy Chen +44 (0)20 7043 4606 or +44 (0)7787 492922
jchen@meritusconsultants.com