Home / United Kingdom (England & Wales) / Bribery
BriberyVerified against official source
This range was checked against the official legal text. Last verified: 2026-10-19.
Statutory range
Summary — individual, ss. 1, 2, 6
- Imprisonment
- 0 (no mandatory prison) – 12 months
- Fine
- Statutory maximum (unlimited for offences committed on/after 12 Mar 2015)
0 = the law sets no minimum prison term. The court is not required to impose prison. Depending on the offence, jurisdiction, and case, it may instead impose a non-custodial sentence — e.g. a suspended sentence, community order / probation, a fine, or a discharge.
On indictment — individual, ss. 1, 2, 6
- Imprisonment
- 0 (no mandatory prison) – 10 years
- Fine
- Unlimited fine
0 = the law sets no minimum prison term. The court is not required to impose prison. Depending on the offence, jurisdiction, and case, it may instead impose a non-custodial sentence — e.g. a suspended sentence, community order / probation, a fine, or a discharge.
Non-individual offender, ss. 1, 2, 6
- Imprisonment
- No imprisonment (fine only)
- Fine
- Statutory maximum (summary) / Unlimited fine (indictment)
s. 7 — commercial organisation failing to prevent bribery (on indictment only)
- Imprisonment
- No imprisonment (fine only)
- Fine
- Unlimited fine
Adequate-procedures defence in s. 7(2).
s. 11. Summary references to 12 months are read as 6 months for offences committed before CJA 2003 s. 154(1) commenced. s. 7 is indictable only.