Sweett Group plc: first conviction for Bribery Act corporate offence

In Southwark Crown Court, on 19 February 2016, Sweett Group plc was ordered to pay approximately £2.35m for the offence of failing to prevent bribery by an associated person under section 7 of the Bribery Act 2010. This case, write Omar Qureshi and Amy Smart of CMS, marks the first conviction of a corporate for that offence and offers the first real insight into (i) how the court and prosecutor will assess what constitutes an “associated person” and (ii) the approach to sentencing for the offence.