The Bribery Act 2010  came into force on 1 July 2011. The Act introduced a corporate offence of failure by commercial organisations to prevent bribery by people working on behalf of the business.

An organisation can defend themselves against this offence if  it can show that it had in place "adequate procedures" designed to prevent bribery by or of persons associated with the organisation.

The Bribery Act was originally due to come into force in April, but the Government delayed it to allow time for a review of the guidance.

Under the Act, the maximum penalty for individuals found guilty of bribery rose from seven to 10 years' imprisonment, and/or an unlimited fine.

Here you can find all the latest news and guidance on the Bribery Act 2010.