Implementation of the Bribery Act 2010 delayed... - 29 July 2010

The Ministry of Justice has announced that the Act will now come into effect in April 2011, rather than the original planned date of October 2010.  As the guidance for the Act needs to be published before the Act comes into effect, it was considered that October was a tight timescale.  The Government is set to launch a short consultation exercise in September relating to the procedures which commercial organisations may need to put into place.  The final guidance will then be published in the New Year to enable organisations to have sufficient time to prepare for the April implementation.

The Act will provide measures whereby an organisation can be liable where someone performing services on behalf of the organisation bribes another with the intention of obtaining/retaining business or gaining a business advantage.  Organisations can avoid liability by having certain preventative procedures in place.

We will place further information on the Bribery Act here shortly.