Bribery in the UK: Lords to take evidence from Law Societies
The House of Lords Bribery Act 2010 Committee will hear evidence from three of the UK's law societies, and on differences in the handling of bribery cases between England and Wales, and Scotland. The session will take place on Tuesday 6 November.
The inquiry is tasked with examining: the effectiveness of the Bribery Act 2010; whether there has been stricter prosecution of corrupt conduct, a higher conviction rate, and a reduction of such conduct; the impact of the Act on SMEs; and the use of Deferred Prosecution Agreements in relation to bribery offences.
Giving evidence to the Committee at 10.30am will be:
- Eoin O'Shea, Partner, Reed Smith LLP; Chair, Corporate Crime and Corruption Committee, City of London Law Society
- Louise Hodges, Partner, Kingsley Napley LLP
- Rodney Warren, Partner, Warren's Law and Advocacy
Questions are likely to include:
- Do you think understanding of the Bribery Act is improving with time?
- How effective are the UK's law enforcement organisations when it comes to investigating and prosecuting bribery cases in the UK and involving UK parties abroad?
- Is the Ministry of Justice Guidance on the Bribery Act providing adequate and up-to-date information for businesses, especially SMEs?
Giving evidence to the Committee at 11.30am will be:
- Rt. Hon. James Wolfe QC, the Lord Advocate
- Andrew Laing, Deputy Procurator Fiscal – Specialist Casework, Crown Office & Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS)
- Denise McKay, Head of the Civil Recovery Unit, COPFS
Questions are likely to include:
- Is there sufficient cooperation between the UK Ministry of Justice and the Scottish Crown Office?
- Do you think decisions on prosecutions in Scotland are taken at a sufficiently high level?
- What does England and Wales have to learn from Scotland in deterring bribery, and dealing with offences of bribery?
The evidence session will start at 10.30am in Committee Room 4 on Tuesday 30 October 2018.
