Tag Archives: Bribery Act

Bribery in Scotland – Civil Settlement Under Bribery Act and the Scottish Crown Office

On September 25 2015, Brand-Rex Limited, a Scottish network cabling company, entered into a civil settlement with the Scottish Crown Office, admitting that the company had failed to prevent bribery and had received an improper benefit in violation of Section 7 of the Bribery Act 2010, which applies to the whole of the United Kingdom. … Continue Reading

Fighting Corruption and Fraud- the ICU and SFO

The United Kingdom’s regime against bribery, corruption and fraud is operating in a new landscape following the introduction in August 2015 of the International Corruption Unit (ICU), a new governmental agency created under the auspices of the Department for International Development (DFID). The latest step in the clampdown on nefarious business practices came as the … Continue Reading

UK Government makes U-turn on the reform of corporate criminal liability

In September 2014, the new Attorney General, Jeremy Wright, revealed that the government was considering introducing a new offence of corporate failure to prevent economic crime, such as fraud and money laundering, similar to the corporate offence in the UK Bribery Act 2010 of an organisation failing to prevent bribery. In its UK Anti-Corruption Plan, … Continue Reading

SMEs and the UK Bribery Act – Compliance may not be as difficult as you fear!

Despite the fact that the Bribery Act 2010 (the “Act”) came into force on 1 July 2011, a recent government study has found that only two-thirds of SMEs are aware of the Act or its corporate offence for failure to prevent bribery (under section 7 of the Act). Of those that were aware of the … Continue Reading

Pursue, Prevent, Protect and Prepare – The UK Government’s Anti-Corruption Plan

The UK Anti-Corruption Plan, published in late 2014, sets the strategic direction for anti-corruption activity in the UK. It contains 66 action points that the UK government will undertake by the end of 2015 in line with four components: Pursue – prosecuting and disrupting people engaged in corruption; Prevent – preventing people from engaging in corruption; … Continue Reading

The UK Bribery Act – what to expect in 2015

We have reported previously that the UK’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has confirmed its commitment to prosecuting bribery and corruption and that although there is yet to be a “big case” under the UK Bribery Act 2010, the SFO are busy investigating companies it suspects may have broken the law. As we approach the end … Continue Reading

Anti-Bribery and Corruption: A Special Report

Thomson Reuters Accelus has recently published a special report (PDF/1.43MB/28 pages) on anti-bribery and corruption and the increased burden on senior management. It is particularly pertinent in light of the Bribery Act 2010 (“Act”) coming into force tomorrow. Among other things, it contains some useful discussion on: sector specific issues and guidance; whether foreign issuers with a London … Continue Reading

Bribery Act 2010: Section 7 Guidance

The wait is over. The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) has today published the long awaited guidance for commercial organisations on procedures that they can put into place to prevent bribery. The following documents were made available on the MOJ website this morning: Guidance (PDF) on the Bribery Act 2010 (Act); and Quick Start Guide (PDF) on the … Continue Reading

Bribery Act 2010: Changing Scope

Whilst we await the coming into force of The Bribery Act 2010 (“Act”) with baited breath, in the meantime, it is interesting to see the attempts to change the scope of the Act. There has also been no shortage of various interest groups calling for a delay in the Act’s implementation to allow them to … Continue Reading

“2010 Was a Transformative Year”

With these words Charles Duross, Deputy Chief, Fraud Section, Criminal Division, Department of Justice – the country’s lead criminal prosecutor of FCPA – so began his comments at the recent American Bar Association White Collar Crime annual conference in San Diego, California. Duross characterized 2010 as “transformative” for the following reasons: Fraud Section Changes.  Duross … Continue Reading
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