20 November 2008

Justice secretary Jack Straw has welcomed the Law Commission's recommendations for changes to existing bribery laws.

Describing bribery as a "cancer" that destroys the "ethical standards" of society, Mr Straw noted that the current legislation is old and complex and in need of improvement.

The changes outlined by the Law Commission involve streamlining the current rulings into two broad categories concerning the offering and receiving of bribes.

Mr Straw explained that the suggestions put forward in the Law Commission's report - which include a prison term of up to a decade for company executives who ignore bribery and corruption - will be considered by the government.

"A new law will provide our investigators and prosecutors with the tools they need to deal with bribery much more effectively," he remarked.

A consultation paper recently published by the government has suggested that those found guilty of criminal offences should be means tested in order to determine how much they will have to contribute towards their legal aid costs.