Sentencing Guidelines for Corporate offenders—Bribery


Produced in partnership with Joseph Sinclair
Practice notes

Sentencing Guidelines for Corporate offenders—Bribery


Produced in partnership with Joseph Sinclair

Practice notes
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This Practice Note summarises the Sentencing Council’s guidelines for sentencing corporate offences of bribery in the Crown Court and magistrates’ court.

The court is required to follow these sentencing guidelines when sentencing a corporate offender unless it is satisfied it would be contrary to the interests of justice to do so. The court should impose a sentence within the offence range, subject to a reduction for a guilty plea, a discount in consequence of assistance given, totality, or where the court is of the opinion that none of the categories sufficiently resemble the offender’s case.

For guidance on sentencing guidelines generally, see Practice Note: Sentencing criminal offences—sentencing guidelines and resources.

For information on sentencing generally, see Practice Notes: Sentencing procedure in the magistrates’ and Crown Courts and Sentences imposed following conviction.

Bribery committed by a corporate offender

Corporate bodies can be convicted of offences under sections 1, 2 and 6 of the Bribery Act 2010 (BA 2010), all of which are offences triable either way.

Corporate offenders can also be convicted of failure to prevent bribery contrary

Joseph Sinclair
Joseph Sinclair

Barrister

Joseph Sinclair is a criminal, public, and regulatory law pupil barrister at Mountford Chambers and an associate researcher for an anti-corruption charity, specialising in bribery, corruption, asset recovery, sanctions, and mutual legal assistance.

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Jurisdiction(s):
United Kingdom

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