Overview

The Bribery Act 2010 comes into force in April next year and has been described as the toughest anti-corruption legislation in the world.
Failure to comply with it could result in 10 years’ imprisonment, unlimited fines and/or extradition to prosecute offences committed abroad.
HR managers might be asking themselves what all of this has to do with them. The answer is that you will be instrumental in assisting your Board and senior management team to:
• draft policies, procedures and contractual provisions to address the requirements of the Bribery Act
• ensure that all staff receive relevant training
• review and monitor the effectiveness of your organisation’s anti-bribery mechanisms
• check that adequate staff vetting practices are in place
• prevent staff fraud

...and because it extends to acts committed outside the UK, the Bribery Act will affect both UK-based and international businesses. UK law firm Shoosmiths outlines the key points.