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This article is more than 9 years old

Anti-bribery Law Passed

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It is now a criminal offence to receive a bribe as well as to give one.
It is now a criminal offence to take a bribe as well as to give one.

His Imperial Majesty Emperor Jonathan I this morning gave Imperial Consent to the Bribery Act 2017, which “makes new provision for the definition and prohibition of bribery”.

The Act of Parliament, which can be read here, gained the required five out of nine votes yesterday afternoon, and was passed by the Speaker on to the Monarch earlier this morning.

Prior to the passing of this Act, the crime of bribery was illegal only under a short subsection of a six year old Imperial Decree of the Emperor’s predecessor, Declan I.

The Bribery Act 2017 sets out a far more detailed definition of the crime, and also makes it a criminal offence to accept or request a bribe; it had previously been illegal only to offer or give one.

The Act was authored by the Emperor himself, who has an A-level qualification in Law. Its passage sees a return to the writing of detailed, comprehensive criminal law by Jonathan I, with the Emperor having authored several lengthy Acts of this type since his ascension to the Throne in 2013.

Fortunately, this new Act may never be needed; in Austenasia’s eight and a half year history, nobody has ever been charged with committing bribery.

About this article

Additional context relevant to this article.

What is the Monarchy? The Austenasian Monarchy is the constitutional institution headed by the Emperor of Austenasia, who serves as Head of State. The Crown represents the continuity and constitutional authority of Austenasia and has formed part of the Empire’s constitutional structure since its foundation in 2008. The office of Monarch is distinct from that of the Prime Minister, who serves as Head of Government and leads the day-to-day administration of Austenasia. The powers and constitutional arrangements of the Crown have changed during Austenasia’s history.
What was Parliament? Parliament was the legislative branch of Austenasia under the previous constitutional system. It was a unicameral legislature whose representative house was the House of Representatives. Under the Constitution of 2026, Parliament and the House of Representatives ceased to form the legislative structure, with legislative functions instead exercised by the present Senate.
Who is Declan I Augustus? Declan I Augustus was the third Emperor of Austenasia. He first became joint Monarch alongside Esmond III Augustus in December 2010 before becoming sole Emperor in September 2011. His reign included the adoption of the Constitution of 2011 and the development of the constitutional powers of the Austenasian Monarchy. Declan abdicated on 20 January 2013 and was succeeded by Jonathan I Augustus.
Who is Jonathan Austen? Jonathan Austen, formerly Emperor Jonathan I Augustus, is the founder and fourth Emperor of Austenasia. He co-founded Austenasia with his family in 2008 and served for many years as Prime Minister before ascending to the throne in 2013. During his reign, Jonathan oversaw a substantial period of Austenasian expansion and development and played a major role in establishing its institutions and foreign relations. He abdicated on 29 September 2024 after more than eleven years as Emperor. Following a period of continued public service after his abdication, Jonathan resigned from his remaining government duties in 2025.