Bribery Act 2010
2010 c. 23An Act to make provision about offences relating to bribery; and for connected purposes.
Enacted[8th April 2010]
Be it enacted by the Queen's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—
General bribery offences¶
1 Offences of bribing another person¶
2 Offences relating to being bribed¶
3 Function or activity to which bribe relates¶
4 Improper performance to which bribe relates¶
5 Expectation test¶
Bribery of foreign public officials¶
6 Bribery of foreign public officials¶
Failure of commercial organisations to prevent bribery¶
7 Failure of commercial organisations to prevent bribery¶
- “partnership” means—
- a partnership within the Partnership Act 1890, or
- a limited partnership registered under the Limited Partnerships Act 1907,
or a firm or entity of a similar character formed under the law of a country or territory outside the United Kingdom, - “relevant commercial organisation” means—
- a body which is incorporated under the law of any part of the United Kingdom and which carries on a business (whether there or elsewhere),
- any other body corporate (wherever incorporated) which carries on a business, or part of a business, in any part of the United Kingdom,
- a partnership which is formed under the law of any part of the United Kingdom and which carries on a business (whether there or elsewhere), or
- any other partnership (wherever formed) which carries on a business, or part of a business, in any part of the United Kingdom,
8 Meaning of associated person¶
9 Guidance about commercial organisations preventing bribery¶
Prosecution and penalties¶
10 Consent to prosecution¶
11 Penalties¶
Other provisions about offences¶
12 Offences under this Act: territorial application¶
13 Defence for certain bribery offences etc.¶
- “active service” means service in—
- an action or operation against an enemy,
- an operation outside the British Islands for the protection of life or property, or
- the military occupation of a foreign country or territory,
- “armed forces” means Her Majesty's forces (within the meaning of the Armed Forces Act 2006),
- “civilian subject to service discipline” and “enemy” have the same meaning as in the Act of 2006,
- “GCHQ” has the meaning given by section 3(3) of the Intelligence Services Act 1994,
- “head” means—
- in relation to the Security Service, the Director General of the Security Service,
- in relation to the Secret Intelligence Service, the Chief of the Secret Intelligence Service, and
- in relation to GCHQ, the Director of GCHQ,
- “intelligence service” means the Security Service, the Secret Intelligence Service or GCHQ,
- “relevant bribery offence” means—
- an offence under section 1 which would not also be an offence under section 6,
- an offence under section 2,
- an offence committed by aiding, abetting, counselling or procuring the commission of an offence falling within paragraph (a) or (b),
- an offence of attempting or conspiring to commit, or of inciting the commission of, an offence falling within paragraph (a) or (b), or
- an offence under Part 2 of the Serious Crime Act 2007 (encouraging or assisting crime) in relation to an offence falling within paragraph (a) or (b).
14 Offences under sections 1, 2 and 6 by bodies corporate etc.¶
- “director”, in relation to a body corporate whose affairs are managed by its members, means a member of the body corporate,
- “senior officer” means—
- in relation to a body corporate, a director, manager, secretary or other similar officer of the body corporate, and
- in relation to a Scottish partnership, a partner in the partnership.
15 Offences under section 7 by partnerships¶
Supplementary and final provisions¶
16 Application to Crown¶
This Act applies to individuals in the public service of the Crown as it applies to other individuals.I117 Consequential provision¶
- “devolved legislation” means an Act of the Scottish Parliament, a Measure of the National Assembly for Wales or an Act of the Northern Ireland Assembly,
- “enactment” includes an Act of the Scottish Parliament and Northern Ireland legislation,
- “relevant national authority” means—
- in the case of provision which would be within the legislative competence of the Scottish Parliament if it were contained in an Act of that Parliament, the Scottish Ministers,F3...
- in the case of provision which could be made by an Act of the Northern Ireland Assembly without the consent of the Secretary of State (see sections 6 to 8 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998), the Department of Justice in Northern Ireland, and
- in any other case, the Secretary of State.
18 Extent¶
I219 Commencement and transitional provision etc.¶
20 Short title¶
This Act may be cited as the Bribery Act 2010.SCHEDULES
SCHEDULE 1 ¶
Consequential amendments
Section 17(2)
Ministry of Defence Police Act 1987 (c. 4)¶
F13...¶
International Criminal Court Act 2001 (c. 17)¶
International Criminal Court (Scotland) Act 2001 (asp 13)¶
Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 (c. 15)¶
.
Armed Forces Act 2006 (c. 52)¶
Serious Crime Act 2007 (c. 27)¶
SCHEDULE 2 ¶
Repeals and revocations
Section 17(3)
| Short title and chapter | Extent of repeal or revocation |
|---|---|
| Public Bodies Corrupt Practices Act 1889 (c. 69) | The whole Act. |
| Prevention of Corruption Act 1906 (c. 34) | The whole Act. |
| Prevention of Corruption Act 1916 (c. 64) | The whole Act. |
| Criminal Justice Act (Northern Ireland) 1945 (c. 15 (N.I.)) | Section 22. |
| Electoral Law Act (Northern Ireland) 1962 (c. 14 (N.I.)) | Section 112(3). |
| Increase of Fines Act (Northern Ireland) 1967 (c. 29 (N.I.)) | Section 1(8)(a) and (b). |
| Criminal Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act (Northern Ireland) 1968 (c. 28 (N.I.)) | In Schedule 2, the entry in the table relating to the Prevention of Corruption Act 1906. |
| Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 1972 (c. 9 (N.I.)) | In Schedule 8, paragraphs 1 and 3. |
| Civil Aviation Act 1982 (c. 16) | Section 19(1). |
| Representation of the People Act 1983 (c. 2) | In section 165(1), paragraph (b) and the word “or” immediately before it. |
| Housing Associations Act 1985 (c. 69) | In Schedule 6, paragraph 1(2). |
| Criminal Justice Act 1988 (c. 33) | Section 47. |
| Criminal Justice (Evidence etc.) (Northern Ireland) Order 1988 (S.I. 1988/1847 (N.I.17)) | Article 14. |
| Enterprise and New Towns (Scotland) Act 1990 (c. 35) | In Schedule 1, paragraph 2. |
| Scotland Act 1998 (c. 46) | Section 43. |
| Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 (c. 24) | Sections 108 to 110. |
| Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2003 (asp 7) | Sections 68 and 69. |
| Government of Wales Act 2006 (c. 32) | Section 44. |
| Armed Forces Act 2006 (c. 52) | In Schedule 2, paragraph 12(l) and (m). |
| Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 (c. 28) | Section 217(1)(a). |
| Section 244(4). | |
| In Schedule 14, paragraph 1. | |
| Housing and Regeneration Act 2008 (c. 17) | In Schedule 1, paragraph 16. |
Footnotes
- I1S. 17 wholly in force at 1.7.2011; s. 17(4)-(10) in force at Royal Assent, see s. 19(2) ; s. 17 in force otherwise at 1.7.2011 by S.I. 2011/1418 , art. 2
- I2S. 19 wholly in force at 1.7.2011; s. 19(1)-(4) in force at Royal Assent, see s. 19(2); s. 19 in force otherwise at 1.7.2011 by S.I. 2011/1418, art. 2
- P1S. 19(1) power fully exercised: 1.7.2011 appointed by {S.I. 2011/1418}, art. 2
- F1S. 17(9A)-(9C) inserted (18.10.2012) by The Northern Ireland Act 1998 (Devolution of Policing and Justice Functions) Order 2012 (S.I. 2012/2595) , arts. 1(2) , 19(3)(b) (with arts. 24-28 )
- F2Words in s. 17(5)(a) inserted (18.10.2012) by The Northern Ireland Act 1998 (Devolution of Policing and Justice Functions) Order 2012 (S.I. 2012/2595) , arts. 1(2) , 19(3)(a) (with arts. 24-28 )
- F3Word in s. 17(10) omitted (18.10.2012) by virtue of The Northern Ireland Act 1998 (Devolution of Policing and Justice Functions) Order 2012 (S.I. 2012/2595) , arts. 1(2) , 19(3)(c) (with arts. 24-28 )
- F4Words in s. 17(10) inserted (18.10.2012) by The Northern Ireland Act 1998 (Devolution of Policing and Justice Functions) Order 2012 (S.I. 2012/2595), arts. 1(2), 19(3)(c) (with arts. 24-28)
- F5Words in s. 9(3) inserted (18.10.2012) by The Northern Ireland Act 1998 (Devolution of Policing and Justice Functions) Order 2012 (S.I. 2012/2595), arts. 1(2), 19(2) (with arts. 24-28)
- F6Word in s. 10(1)(a) inserted (27.3.2014) by The Public Bodies (Merger of the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Director of Revenue and Customs Prosecutions) Order 2014 (S.I. 2014/834), art. 1(1), Sch. 2 para. 74(2)(a)
- F7S. 10(1)(c) and preceding word omitted (27.3.2014) by virtue of The Public Bodies (Merger of the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Director of Revenue and Customs Prosecutions) Order 2014 (S.I. 2014/834), art. 1(1), Sch. 2 para. 74(2)(b)
- F8Words in s. 10(3)(a)(i) substituted (27.3.2014) by The Public Bodies (Merger of the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Director of Revenue and Customs Prosecutions) Order 2014 (S.I. 2014/834), art. 1(1), Sch. 2 para. 74(3)
- F9Words in s. 10(4) substituted (27.3.2014) by The Public Bodies (Merger of the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Director of Revenue and Customs Prosecutions) Order 2014 (S.I. 2014/834), art. 1(1), Sch. 2 para. 74(4)
- F10Words in s. 10(7) substituted (27.3.2014) by The Public Bodies (Merger of the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Director of Revenue and Customs Prosecutions) Order 2014 (S.I. 2014/834), art. 1(1), Sch. 2 para. 74(5)
- F11S. 11(1A) inserted (7.2.2023 at 12.00 p.m.) by The Judicial Review and Courts Act 2022 (Magistrates’ Court Sentencing Powers) Regulations 2023 (S.I. 2023/149), regs. 1(2), 22(2)
- F12S. 11(4)(a) omitted (7.2.2023 at 12.00 p.m.) by virtue of The Judicial Review and Courts Act 2022 (Magistrates’ Court Sentencing Powers) Regulations 2023 (S.I. 2023/149), regs. 1(2), 22(3)
- F13Sch. 1 para. 2 and cross-heading omitted (26.10.2023 for specified purposes, 15.1.2024 in so far as not already in force) by virtue of Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (c. 56), ss. 211(2), 219(1)(2)(b); S.I. 2023/1206, reg. 3(i)