What is the bribery act?

The bribery act has been created in order to protect businesses within the UK. This legislation has been introduced within the country in relation to internationals norms concerning anti corruption legislation. This legislation makes it a criminal offence for bribes to be given or accepted. The legislation also makes it a corporate offence if bribery could have been prevented and is not so.

The legislation that has only been introduced recently provides prosecutors with certain powers in concerns to bribery. The main prosecutors will be the Serious Fraud Office, this organisation has to capacity to prosecute companies. Companies that can be prosecuted include domestic and foreign companies; although in order for a foreign company to be prosecuted they must have some form of representation within the UK. Brides that are carried out by companies will therefore form the basis of which companies can be prosecuted, this includes bribes that have occurred overseas.

The UK Bribery act is much more comprehensive that other legislations that are in rule within other countries, this therefore often means that some international organisations avoid the country. The act was introduced within the UK after claims from businesses that the amount of corruption that was occurring was of a high level.

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/23/contents