Jurisdiction(s):
United Kingdom

Related legal acts

Key definition

Corruption definition

What does Corruption mean? In legal practice, corruption describes conduct by which a person abuses an entrusted position or influence to secure an improper benefit, typically through bribery, kickbacks, undue influence or manipulation of decisions in public or commercial contexts. It is a descriptive umbrella term used across criminal law, public law, procurement and compliance, rather than a single offence. In England & Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, there is no general statutory definition of “corruption”. The Bribery Act 2010 (UK-wide) instead creates specific offences of bribing, being bribed, bribery of foreign public officials and the corporate offence of failure to prevent bribery; it...

Pre-Bribery Act 2010 UK corruption offences: common law and Prevention of Corruption Acts; scope, extra-territorial reach, corporate liability, penalties and sentencing

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Practice notes

ARCHIVED: This archived Practice Note serves as a practical and comprehensive working guide to the Law of Corruption in the UK prior to the Bribery Act 2010 (BA 2010) taking effect. It sets out the position under the pre‑BA 2010 framework, which comprises the following:

the Common law offence of bribery
the Public Bodies Corrupt Practices Act 1889 (PBCPA 1889)
the Prevention of Corruption Act 1906 (PCA 1906)
and the Prevention of Corruption Act 1916 (PCA 1916)

Collectively, these instruments are described as the pre‑BA 2010 regime, which is the expression adopted for the remainder of this Practice Note and used consistently. The Note explores that regime and considers its practical implications for both individuals and businesses in practice.

To aid those advising on the practicalities of prosecuting and defending investigations and prosecutions under the pre‑BA 2010 regime, see Practice Note: Pre BA 2010 bribery and corruption—Practicalities [Archived]. For further information on the current regime that applies under BA 2010, consult the following Practice Notes:

The Bribery Act 2010—an introductory guide
Failure to prevent bribery—the offence
Active bribery, passive bribery and bribing foreign public officials
Bribery Act 2010—sentence tracker

Prevention of corruption under the pre‑BA 2010 regime—introduction BA 2010 came...

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Web page updated on 21/05/2026

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