Ministry of Justice

Bribery Bill

hands exchanging money

The Bribery Bill aims to reform the criminal law to provide a new, modern and comprehensive scheme of bribery offences that will enable courts and prosecutors to respond more effectively to bribery at home or abroad.


The Bill will:

  • provide a more effective legal framework to combat bribery in the public or private sectors
  • replace the fragmented and complex offences at common law and in the Prevention of Corruption Acts 1889-1916
  • create two general offences covering the offering, promising or giving of an advantage, and requesting, agreeing to receive or accepting of an advantage
  • create a discrete offence of bribery of a foreign public official
  • create a new offence of failure by a commercial organisation to prevent a bribe being paid for or on its behalf it will be a defence if the organisation has adequate procedures in place to prevent bribery
  • support business by ensuring that everyone is clear about their responsibilities to do business in an open and honest way
  • help tackle the threat that bribery poses to economic progress and development around the world.

The Bill was published in draft on 25 March 2009 for pre-legislative scrutiny by a Joint Committee of both Houses of Parliament. The Committee received written and oral evidence from May 2009 and published its report on 28 July 2009.

The Committee supported the draft Bill in principle and made a number of recommendations, many of which are reflected in the Bribery Bill as introduced in the House of Lords on 19 November 2009.



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