After 18 months the Law Commission today issued its long-awaited Report on corruption law, proposing a new draft Bill. 

19 November 2008 - John Drysdale, Chairman of Transparency International UK said:

“New anti-corruption legislation is well overdue. We welcome the Law Commission’s balanced Report. The draft anti-corruption bill proposed by the Commission is a good foundation for the enactment of new legislation that will be easily understood and enforceable in the UK courts. Most importantly it will satisfy our OECD partners and make the UK fully compliant with the 1997 Anti-Bribery Convention.

“The consultation is over. The Government must now adopt these proposals in full and enact a new corruption Bill in the fourth session of Parliament. There is no room for further dithering. If the UK is to restore its international reputation the Government must act swiftly."

Chandrashekhar Krishnan Executive Director of TI-UK said:

"All political parties must unite as a matter of urgency to enact a new Bill. Years of consultation and hard work by the Law Commission have got us this far – the baton has now been returned to the Government for the final leg. We want to see a new anti-corruption Bill announced in the Queen’s speech in December and look forward to working with Anti Corruption Champion Jack Straw to deliver what he promised in 2000 as Home Secretary.”

Transparency International UK has made it clear that new legislation must allow the swift prosecution of both companies and individuals; make it a criminal offence for a UK company to bribe a foreign public official through an intermediary who is not a UK national; and not allow the Attorney General to give direction to investigations and prosecutions of foreign bribery. Decisions to investigate and prosecute should be left to the Director of Public Prosecutions and/or the Director of the SFO.