Penalties

In this lesson, we will tackle the consequences of involving yourself with bribery and anticorruption.

The MACN (The Maritime Anti-Corruption Network), which will be discussed later on, was founded due to the creation of the Bribery Act in 2010. The act refers to criminal law involving bribery and details the penalties for committing a crime.

The penalties under the Act are severe – there is a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment and an unlimited fine for individuals. Corporations face an unlimited fine. In addition, where a person (including a corporation) has been convicted of an offence, they face automatic and perpetual debarment from tendering for EU public contracts, although the Government has indicated that debarment for corporates will be discretionary where the offence in question is the corporate offence.

There are other possible severe financial (as well as reputational) consequences of being found guilty of an offence under the Act. These can include confiscation under proceeds of crime legislation (which seeks to take away the full benefit obtained by the wrongdoer as a result of the offence). The requirement to appoint an external monitor to review and ensure compliance with policies and controls and to pay substantial costs associated with the prosecution.

In this small video, we will see an example of bribery and corruption which might occur within the Maritime Industry. 

Formative Assessment

See if you can answer the questions below.