Five years on the Bribery Act has led to a ‘step-change’ in anti-bribery compliance standards, says expert – OUT-LAW.com

Posted April 22nd, 2015 in bribery, news by sally

‘FOCUS: The Bribery Act, which was enacted exactly five years ago, may not have resulted in any prosecutions but corporate complacency about the UK’s first dedicated anti-bribery law is misguided. The Bribery Act has led to a step-change in anti-bribery compliance standards.’

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 21st April 2015

Source: www.out-law.com

Operation Elveden: Journalists cleared in payment trial – BBC News

‘Three journalists have been found not guilty of illegally paying public officials by a jury at the Old Bailey.’

Full story

BBC News, 17th April 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Journalists should not always be prosecuted for paying public officials, says former CPS head – The Indpendent

‘The former head of the Crown Prosecution Service has said it can be “appropriate” for journalists to pay officials for information and that Operation Elveden had overlooked the public interest.’

Full story

The Independent, 18th April 2015

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Crown Prosecution Service re-review of Operation Elveden – CPS News Brief

‘Operation Elveden is a Metropolitan Police Service investigation that revealed the payments made to corrupt public officials by journalists for information. It followed two parliamentary committees and the Leveson Inquiry which revealed serious questions over the techniques used by some which may have amounted to systematic and flagrant breaches of the law. The range and circumstance of this activity was of a scale not previously encountered by police or CPS.’

Full story

CPS News Brief, 17th April 2015

Source: http://blog.cps.gov.uk

Three years, £20 million, one conviction: Operation Elveden on brink of collapse – Daily Telegraph

‘Operation Elveden, the long running investigation into allegations of corruption by tabloid journalists, lies in tatters after the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) was forced to scrap most of the outstanding cases. ‘

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 17th April 2015

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Operation Elveden: Court quashes reporter’s conviction – BBC News

‘An ex-News of the World reporter who was found guilty of paying a prison officer for information has had their conviction quashed.’

Full story

BBC News, 27th March 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Chickens coming home to roost: SFO’s first conviction of a company for bribery after contested trial – RPC Financial Services Blog

Posted January 8th, 2015 in bribery, company directors, corruption, news, Serious Fraud Office by sally

‘Hot on the heels of the SFO’s first conviction under the Bribery Act 2010, discussed in George’s post, and just as some of us were disappearing for a Christmas break, the SFO announced its first conviction of a company for bribery of foreign public officials after a contested trial. (Regular SFO-watchers will recall that in Mabey & Johnson (2009) and Innospec (2010), both companies pleaded guilty by agreement to offences involving bribery of foreign public officials.) This prosecution was not in fact under the much-trumpeted Bribery Act 2010, but under s1 of the Prevention of Corruption Act 1906.’

Full story

RPC Financial Services Blog, 7th January 2015

Source: www.rpc.co.uk

SFO makes first use of Bribery Act in prosecution for fraudulent UCIS – RPC Financial Services Blog

Posted December 12th, 2014 in bribery, conspiracy, fraud, news, prosecutions by sally

‘Earlier this week three individuals were sentenced at Southwark Crown Court following the first prosecution by the SFO under the Bribery Act 2010. The case hasn’t give us a meaningful judicial interpretation of the Bribery Act, but it does show that the SFO is prepared to use the Act and the case also serves as a further example of the risks of investing through a SIPP into an investment that seems too good to be true.’

Full story

RPC Financial Services Blog, 11th December 2014

Source: www.rpc.co.uk

Jon Venables leak: journalist found guilty of paying prison officer – The Guardian

Posted November 10th, 2014 in bribery, media, news, prison officers by sally

‘A former News of the World journalist has been found guilty of paying a prison officer for details about the life behind bars of Jon Venables, one of the killers of James Bulger.’

Full story

The Guardian, 7th November 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

New press watchdog Ipso needs clearer rules, says chairman – The Guardian

Posted November 10th, 2014 in bribery, complaints, interception, media, news by sally

‘The new press regulator’s rules must be simplified if it is to fulfil promises to be fair and independent that were made by the industry after the Leveson inquiry, its chairman said on Sunday.’

Full story

The Guardian, 9th November 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Warnings of “US-style penalties” for corporate economic crimes as new sentencing guidelines come into force – OUT-LAW.com

‘Firms operating in England and Wales should be prepared for tougher penalties in cases of fraud, bribery and money laundering now that new sentencing guidelines have come into force, an expert has said.’

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 7th October 2014

Source: www.out-law.com

Proprietary remedies, fiduciary bribes, and dishonest assistants: FHR and Novoship – Employment Law Blog

Posted October 2nd, 2014 in appeals, bribery, constructive trusts, fiduciary duty, news, Supreme Court by tracey

‘Directors and senior employees will often have wide-ranging managerial power over their companies: the ability to commit or disburse company assets, with significant autonomy and limited detailed oversight. Those in such positions will not always act responsibly, and will be attractive targets to others seeking a share of the potential spoils. In two important judgments from July, the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court significantly increased the remedies available against both bribed fiduciaries and those who bribe them.’

Full story

Employment Law Blog, 2nd Ocotber 2014

Source: www.employment11kbw.com

Fraud, bribery and money laundering offences guideline comes into effect – Sentencing Council

Posted October 2nd, 2014 in bribery, Crown Court, fraud, magistrates, money laundering, news, sentencing by tracey

‘Following a period of training and implementation the definitive guideline on fraud, bribery and money laundering offences came into effect on 1 October 2014.’

Versions for the Crown Court and magistrates’ courts

Sentencing Council, 1st October 2014

Source: http://sentencingcouncil.judiciary.gov.uk

Bribes and secret commissions: Cedar in the Supreme Court – New Square Chambers

Posted September 3rd, 2014 in agency, bribery, equity, fiduciary duty, news, trusts by sally

‘What claim does a principal have where an agent or other fiduciary receives a bribe or secret commission in breach of the duty owed to him? Is the principal confined to a personal claim for equitable compensation from the fiduciary or canhe show that the bribe or commission was held on trust for him? After two centuries of debate in and out of the courts, the Supreme Court in FHR European Ventures LLP v Cedar Capital Partners [2014] UKSC 45 determined that the bribe or commission is held on trust such that the principal does enjoy a proprietary claim.’

Full story

New Square Chambers, 14th August 2014

Source: www.newsquarechambers.co.uk

Ex-NoW journalist Dan Evans gets suspended sentence over hacking – The Guardian

‘A former journalist at the News of the World who admitted listening to more than 1,000 hacked voicemail messages has been spared jail because of what the judge said was his “unique” role in giving the prosecution evidence in the trial of Andy Coulson, Rebekah Brooks and others.’

Full story

The Guardian, 24th July 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Novoship (UK) Ltd and others v Nikitin and others – WLR Daily

Posted July 9th, 2014 in bribery, causation, charterparties, debts, fiduciary duty, interest, law reports by sally

Novoship (UK) Ltd and others v Nikitin and others [2014] EWCA 908; [2014] WLR (D) 297

‘The remedy of an account of profits was available against one who dishonestly assisted a fiduciary to breach his fiduciary obligations, even if that breach did not involve a misapplication of trust property.

WLR Daily, 4th July 2014

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Businessmen and footballer jailed over match-fixing – BBC News

Posted June 20th, 2014 in bribery, conspiracy, gambling, news, sentencing, sport by tracey

‘Two businessmen and a footballer convicted of plotting to fix the results of football matches have been jailed.’

Full story

BBC News, 20th June 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

New sentencing guidelines bring increased focus to the impact of fraud on victims – Sentencing Council

Posted May 28th, 2014 in bribery, fraud, money laundering, news, sentencing by sally

‘The Sentencing Council has published a new guideline for how people convicted of fraud, money laundering and bribery should be sentenced.’

Full story

Sentencing Council, 23rd May 2014

Source: www.sentencingcouncil.judiciary.gov.uk

Deferred prosecution agreements to be made available next week as new guidance published – OUT-LAW.com

Posted February 18th, 2014 in bribery, deferred prosecution agreements, fraud, news, prosecutions by sally

‘Prosecutors will be able to enter into US-style ‘plea bargains’ with corporate offenders from next week, providing an alternative to prosecution in cases of economic crime such as bribery or fraud.’

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 17th February 2014

Source: www.out-law.com

New sentencing guideline for corporate fraud – Sentencing Council

Posted February 3rd, 2014 in bribery, codes of practice, fraud, money laundering, news, sentencing by tracey

‘Following consultation the Sentencing Council is publishing a new definitive guideline on fraud, bribery and money laundering offences committed by corporate offenders which will come into force on 1 October 2014.’

Full guidelines

Sentencing Council, 31st January 2014

Source: http://http://sentencingcouncil.judiciary.gov.uk