A House of Lords committee has been appointed to consider the Bribery Act 2010.
An ad hoc Select Committee will take evidence during the summer and autumn before publishing its report in 2019. The Act created two crimes of giving and receiving bribes, as well as covering issues such as the crime of bribery of foreign public officials. It also created the offence of failure by a commercial organisation to have in place adequate procedures to prevent persons associated with them from undertaking bribery.
Lord Saville of Newdigate, chairman of the committee, said: ‘Seven years since it came into force, and with the majority of bribery cases being prosecuted under the Bribery Act 2010, now is the opportune time for post-legislative scrutiny.
‘The committee will examine the effectiveness of the Act, whether there has been stricter prosecution of corrupt conduct, a higher conviction rate, and a reduction in such conduct. There is confusion and uncertainty about the Act, amongst SMEs in particular.’
