REFORMULATING THE CORRUPTION LAWS - THE LAW COMMISSION PROPOSALS

Currently, much consideration is being given to the reform of the laws relating to the control of corruption. On the international and inter governmental plane, the European Union, the Council of Europe and the Organisation of Economic Go-operation and Development are seeking to a gree minimum standards for the conduct of inter-state commerce.(1) The General Assembly of the United Nations has recently resolved that mor e effective action against corruption be taken by Member States and ha s annexed to the resolution an international code of conduct for publi c officials.(2) In the United Kingdom, the Nolan Committee on Standard s in Public Life, in its first report,(3) recommended that the Governm ent should review the law of bribery and corruption and, as a conseque nce, we now have a recently published Law Commission consultation pape r which reviews the current law and makes radical proposals for its re form.(4) Subsequently to the publication of the Law Commission paper, the Home Office published a discussion paper indicating a commitment i n principle to consolidating and reforming the laws on corruption.(5) On this occasion at least we may assume that Law Commission proposals will be subjected to constructive scrutiny by the Home Office. There m ay be a prospect that some of its recommendations will survive this pr ocess and ultimately find their way into the statute book.