UK Bribery Act 2010
The UK Bribery Act 2010 is considered one of the strictest anti-bribery laws globally. It creates four offences: bribing another person (Section 1), being bribed (Section 2), bribing foreign public officials (Section 6), and failure of a commercial organisation to prevent bribery (Section 7). The Section 7 corporate offence has strict liability — the only defence is demonstrating 'adequate procedures' to prevent bribery. The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) prosecutes. Applies to UK companies and any company carrying on business in the UK. No facilitation payment exception.
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Framework Domains (6)
Bribery of Foreign Public Officials
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| Section 6 | Bribery of Foreign Public Officials |
| Section 6(3) | Influence and Business Advantage |
| Section 6(5) | Definition of Foreign Public Official |
Corporate Liability — Failure to Prevent Bribery
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| Section 7 | Failure to Prevent Bribery |
| Section 7(2) | Adequate Procedures Defence |
| Section 8 | Definition of Associated Person |
| Section 9 | Guidance on Adequate Procedures |
General Bribery Offences
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| Section 1 | Offence of Bribing Another Person |
| Section 2 | Offence of Being Bribed |
| Section 3 | Function or Activity to Which Bribe Relates |
| Section 4 | Improper Performance Test |
| Section 5 | Expectation Test |
Penalties and Prosecution
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| Section 11 | Penalties for Individuals |
| Section 11(3) | Penalties for Organisations |
| Section 12 | Territorial Jurisdiction |
| Section 14 | Senior Officer Consent or Connivance |
Scope and Application
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| Section 10 | Consent to Prosecution |
| Section 13 | Defence for Intelligence Services |
| Section 15 | Deferred Prosecution Agreements |
Six Principles of Adequate Procedures
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| Principle 1 | Exercises Board Risk Oversight |
| Principle 2 | Establishes Operating Structures |
| Principle 3 | Defines Desired Culture |
| Principle 4 | Demonstrates Commitment to Core Values |
| Principle 5 | Attracts, Develops, and Retains Capable Individuals |
| Principle 6 | Analyzes Business Context |
Maps to 391 other frameworks
Frequently Asked Questions
What is UK Bribery Act 2010?
UK Bribery Act 2010 is a compliance framework from United Kingdom (SFO) with 6 domains and 25 controls. The UK Bribery Act 2010 is considered one of the strictest anti-bribery laws globally. It creates four offences: bribing another person (Section 1), being bribed (Section 2), bribing foreign public officials (Section 6), and failure of a commercial organisation to prevent bribery (Section 7). The Section 7 corporate offence has strict liability — the only defence is demonstrating 'adequate procedures' to prevent bribery. The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) prosecutes. Applies to UK companies and any company carrying on business in the UK. No facilitation payment exception. It is used by organisations to establish and maintain compliance with industry standards and regulatory requirements.
How many controls does UK Bribery Act 2010 have?
UK Bribery Act 2010 has 25 controls organised across 6 domains. The largest domains are Six Principles of Adequate Procedures (6 controls), General Bribery Offences (5 controls), Corporate Liability — Failure to Prevent Bribery (4 controls). Each control defines specific requirements that organisations must implement to achieve compliance.
What frameworks does UK Bribery Act 2010 map to?
UK Bribery Act 2010 maps to 391 other compliance frameworks. The top mapping partners are MTCS — Multi-Tier Cloud Security (Singapore) (12% coverage), ISO 20400:2017 — Sustainable Procurement (12% coverage), ISO/IEC 25012:2008 — Data Quality Model (12% coverage). Use our comparison tool to explore control-level mappings between frameworks.
How do I get started with UK Bribery Act 2010 compliance?
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