Bribery Act begins to bite
Last week saw the first prosecution and conviction under the Bribery Act 2010, which came into force on 1 July 2011.
The prosecution was made under Section 2 (1) of the Act, which states that a person is guilty of an offence if they request, agree to receive, or accept a financial or other advantage intending that a relevant function or activity should be performed improperly. The case involved a former Administrative Officer of the Magistrates Court who admitted having taken a £500 bribe for offering to "get rid" of a speeding charge for another individual.
The convicted Officer will be sentenced on 11 November 2011. The CPS have highlighted the powers which the Act gives them to focus on bribery rather than general misconduct and no doubt we will soon see many more convictions under the same legislation.
If you have any queries in relation to the scope of the Act then please contact our Employment or Dispute Resolution Teams on 01482 323239 or 01904 625790.
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