What states should know about the civil tort of bribery
Click through here for a quick summary of the key issues on the tort of bribery that states, and indeed any victim of bribery, should know. Our tip-sheet covers the basic legal principles, identifying available defendants, the circumstances when a claim can be brought and the facts that must be established […]
Asset Recovery tip-sheets
Following the successful launch of our asset recovery blog, we will be publishing a series of tip-sheets on the various types of civil claim that can be made to recover corrupt assets, or compensation for corruption, as well as on key procedural issues that matter in these cases. The tip-sheets […]
The Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act
One of the last acts of parliament was to pass the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act (“the Act”), which received Royal Assent on 26 March 2015. Ostensibly, the primary purpose of this piece of legislation is to encourage entrepreneurship in the UK by helping small businesses to compete, grow […]
Using insolvency powers to make claims for fraud: important Supreme Court decision
Companies are habitually used as part of a corruption scheme. Such companies often have only a single director, or a small number of directors, and are beneficially owned by the wrong-doers. Insolvency powers can be effective tools to obtain compensation for victims of fraud or corruption, in the right circumstances. […]
Privy Council Clarifies When Innocent Bank is Liable to Victims of Theft
To what extent must a bank make inquiries as to the commercial purpose of a transaction, particularly a transaction involving an offshore structure? And when is a bank liable to compensate a victim of theft for receiving funds deriving from stolen assets and using them for its own benefit? These […]
What are the civil claims and remedies for bribery in England?
In our latest briefing, we consider the various civil claims and remedies available to states that are victims of bribery. The law of England, and the law of other common law jurisdictions, allow states to pursue claims not only against the bribe-payer and recipient, and but also against those who […]
International enforcement of English asset recovery judgments: an overview
Civil proceedings brought by the state are one mechanism to recover the proceeds of crime, or to claim compensation for corrupt acts: as discussed in our previous post Recovering the proceeds of corruption: an overview. Typically, substantial corruption cases are international in scope and the proceeds of a corrupt transaction […]
Can I sue a bribing competitor in England?
Companies are competing to win a contract. One pays a bribe to exclude its competitor from the bidding process, or to win the contract. If caught, it faces prosecution under the UK’s Bribery Act 2010, as do its bribing directors or employees. The bribing company also risks termination of its contract […]
Who owns a bribe: the bribed public official or the defrauded state?
A public official receives a bribe to award a contract. Does the bribe “belong” to the official or to the state that he or she represents? The answer to the question can matter a great deal to the success of a claim. But the issue has been controversial and the […]
Prosecuting “Illicit Enrichment”: a new offence for the UK?
This article by James Maton and Jamie Humphreys was first published on the blog of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Anti-Corruption. There are many policy developments that would help improve asset recovery efforts in the UK (see Transparency International’s publication Closing down the Safe Havens). However, if we were to […]