1. What is the legal framework governing bribery in Hong
Kong?
The Prevention of Bribery Ordinance (Cap. 201) (POBO), enacted
in 1971, is the primary anti-bribery legislation in Hong Kong and
is enforced by the Independent Commission Against Corruption
(ICAC). It contains provisions prohibiting bribery in both the
public and private sectors.
There also exists a common law offence of misconduct in public
office that applies where a public official deliberately engages in
misconduct in relation to his/her public office without any
reasonable excuse. The misconduct has to be serious for charges to
be laid. This is less commonly used given the extensive statutory
provisions under the POBO.
