0370 270 6000

already registered?

Please sign in with your existing account details.

Sign in with LinkedIn

need to register?

Register to access exclusive content, sign up to receive our updates and personalise your experience on brownejacobson.com.

Privacy statement - Terms and conditions

Register with LinkedIn

Forgotten your password?

Home arrow Insights arrow Resources arrow Blogs arrow The Bribery Act – 3 months and counting

the Bribery Act – 3 months and counting

30 March 2011

Justice Secretary, Kenneth Clarke has announced today that the Bribery Act 2010 will come into force on 1 July 2011.

Clarke tried to dispel the concerns expressed by businesses saying that ‘combating the risks of bribery is largely about common sense, not burdensome procedures’, and that he does not expect a ‘large number of prosecutions’.

The guidance clarifies that ‘bona fide hospitality’ and similar expenses on improving the image of a commercial organisation or establishing ‘cordial relations’ are not intended to be caught by the Act. Facilitation payments will continue to be caught by the Act as they are under previous bribery laws.

The guidance clarifies what is meant by “adequate procedures.” The adequacy of procedures will be considered in accordance with the risk of bribery faced by an organisation in light of its size and type, though other factors will also be relevant.

The guidance will no doubt help businesses to prepare for the Act. How it will ultimately be enforced remains to be seen.

related opinions

Changes to the standard of proof for findings of unlawful killing in inquests

The Supreme Court has considered whether the applicable standard of proof in inquest proceedings should be to the criminal standard (beyond reasonable doubt) or the civil standard (on the balance of probabilities).

View blog

Impact of Covid-19 upon level of fine

Two cases have considered the issue of Covid 19 as part of the sentencing exercise. In the most recent, failures by a principal contractor Modus Workspace, who design and refit refurbishments, led to a £1.1 million fine after an engineer was injured from a fall from a roof.

View blog

Chancellor announces levy on companies subject to anti-money laundering regulations

The Chancellor’s latest Budget Report outlined that the Government will introduce a £100 million Economic Crime Levy, otherwise known as the AML Levy no earlier than April 2022 to fund action to tackle money laundering and ensure delivery of reforms in the Government’s Economic Crime Plan.

View blog

Credit broking: know your permissions

To operate lawfully, firms that broker credit to consumers by way of business must be registered with and authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

View blog

View all blogs

mailing list sign up



Select which mailings you would like to receive from us.

Sign up

quick links

information

  1. Investors in people
  2. Lexcel
  4. Plain English Campaign Approved

follow us...

© Copyright Browne Jacobson LLP 2021 - All rights reserved