Financial Transparency Coalition

LONDON – Global Witness welcomes today’s implementation of the UK Bribery Act which, if enforced correctly, will help curb corruption and end poverty around the world. But the group warns that the government will need to provide the necessary resources to effectively enforce the act if its anti-corruption credentials are to be taken seriously.

LONDON – As the 2010 Bribery Act comes into force on the 1st July, anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International UK warns that the enforcement of the new Act could be undermined by a lack of resources.

You go to a DMV to get a driver’s license. You submit an application and take an eye exam, you pay the relevant fees, take a written exam, and then an official grades your score. If you pass, you get to take a driving test and another official evaluates your performance. Upon successful completion of these steps, someone takes your picture and 5-8 business days later your license arrives in the mail. Well, that’s the way it is for some people. But if you were unlucky enough to be taking your driving test in a country where corruption runs rampant,...

Global Financial Integrity’s Legal Counsel and Director of Government Affairs Heather Lowe has written a guest blog on FCPA Professor in response to criticisms of GFI’s press release about the Chamber of Commerce’s proposed changes to the FCPA. Ms. Lowe examined the FCPA in relation to the new UK Bribery Act, noting that unlike the FCPA, “The UK Bribery Act criminalizes ALL forms of commercial bribery”. As a result, a compliance defense under the UK Bribery Act has different ramifications than under the less encompassing FCPA. She further notes that “Compliance in the UK is not...