Terms of Reference

  1. the measures governing the activities of Australian corporations, entities, organisations, individuals, government and related parties with respect to foreign bribery, with specific reference to the effectiveness of, and any possible improvements to, Australia‘s implementation of its obligations under:
    1. the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions (OECD Convention), and
    2. the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC); and
  2. as part of, or in addition to, paragraph (a), the effectiveness of, and any possible improvements to, existing Commonwealth legislation governing foreign bribery, including:
    1. Commonwealth treaties, agreements, jurisdictional reach, and other measures for gathering information and evidence,
    2. the resourcing, effectiveness and structure of Commonwealth agencies and statutory bodies to investigate and, where appropriate, prosecute under the legislation, including cooperation between bodies,
    3. standards of admissible evidence,
    4. the range of penalties available to the courts, including debarment from government contracts and programs,
    5. the statute of limitations,
    6. the range of offences, for example:
      1. false accounting along the lines of  the books and records head in the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act,
      2. increased focus on the offence of  failure to create a corporate culture of compliance,
      3. liability of directors and senior managers who do not implement a corporate culture of compliance, and
      4. liability of parent companies for subsidiaries and intermediaries, including joint ventures,
    7. measures to encourage self-reporting, including but not limited to, civil resolutions, settlements, negotiations, plea bargains, enforceable undertakings and deferred prosecution agreements,
    8. official guidance to corporations and others as to what is a culture of compliance and a good anti-bribery compliance program,
    9. private sector whistleblower protection and other incentives to report foreign bribery,
    10. facilitation payment defence,
    11. use of suppression orders in prosecutions,
    12. foreign bribery not involving foreign public officials, for example, company to company or international sporting bodies,
    13. the economic impact, including compliance and reporting costs, of foreign bribery, and
    14. any other related matters.

Committee Secretariat contact:

Senate Standing Committees on Economics
PO Box 6100
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600

Phone: +61 2 6277 3540
economics.sen@aph.gov.au

About this inquiry

An inquiry into the measures governing the activities of Australian corporations, entities, organisations, individuals, government and related parties with respect to foreign bribery.



Past Public Hearings

22 Apr 2016: Sydney

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Inquiry Status

Inquiry lapsed

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