Businesses warned to prepare for corruption clampdown.

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A new Law Commission report that sets out recommendations to clarify UK legislation on bribery has increased pressure on companies to monitor their operations and ensure compliance.

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The report, "Reforming bribery", notes that "bribery has been contrary to the law at least since Magna Carta declared: 'We will sell to no man ... either justice or right.' However, it has proved hard to define in law. The current law is outdated and in some instances unfit for purpose."

It proposes replacing a patchwork of offences with four new ones: paying a bribe, receiving a bribe, bribing a foreign official and negligently failing to prevent bribery by an employee or agent.

The recommendations should be seen as a warning to UK firms that corruption at home and overseas will not be tolerated, according to Andrew Gordon, head of investigations for PwC's forensic services.

"Taken together with the more aggressive enforcement promised, they would go a long way towards stamping out bribery and showing that the UK takes the issue extremely seriously," he said. "There's a big difference between an anti-bribery policy and an anti-bribery programme. UK...

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