By Lawrence Ritchie and Sonja Pavic ( December 9, 2020, 2:10 PM EST) -- Deferred prosecution agreements (DPAs) were introduced under Canadian law in September 2018 as part of a broader effort by the federal government to enhance its toolkit in the fight against corruption and other white-collar crime. DPAs are voluntary agreements that are negotiated between an accused and the Crown to resolve corporate wrongdoing as an alternative to long and costly prosecutions. The effect of a DPA is that the outstanding investigation or prosecution is suspended, in exchange for certain undertakings that the corporation must fulfil in order to have the charges dropped. DPAs often require full co-operation with the relevant law enforcement authority and an admission of guilt, fines and governance reform. ...