Citation 6 Edw.7 c.34 | Royal assent 4 August 1906 | |
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Long title An Act for the better Prevention of Corruption. Territorial extent England and Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland | ||
The Prevention of Corruption Act 1906 (6 Edw.7 c.34) was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (as it was then). It is one of the Prevention of Corruption Acts 1889 to 1916.
Section 1 makes it an offence (formerly classified as a misdemeanour) subject to imprisonment up to 7 years:
Agent and principal
An "agent" includes any person employed by or acting for another, and a "principal" includes an employer.
The "principal" is the person the agent is employed by or acting for.
Anyone working for the government counts as an agent. (s.1(3))
In 2002, Part 12 of the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 extended this law for England, Wales and Northern Ireland internationally so that it could be exercised in cases where the agent and the principal had no connection with the UK. An equivalent change was made for Scotland by the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2003.
A prosecution in England and Wales for an offence under this Act cannot be instituted without the consent of the Attorney-General, who can discontinue an investigation that is working towards a prosecution under the Act.