On 1 July 2021, the UK Bribery Act (the Act) – one of the world’s global bribery and corruption benchmark laws – turns 10. It’s been an eventful 10 years: the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), the Act’s primary enforcement agency, have had their ups and downs. Equally, it cannot be denied that the Act has successfully reformed bribery law in the UK; indeed, it has provided a blueprint for similar legislation at home and abroad. But many commentators feel that the statutory guidance provided to corporates on the compliance defence has been far from “adequate”. The fact that there have been so few contested corporate prosecutions means there is a dearth of precedent.
Please see full publication below for more information.