CIPR_No_Rules_Britannia - Flipbook - Page 19
Possible 昀椀nes and penalties for breaking
the rules of the lobbying register
Maximum 昀椀ne
GBP conversion
Other civil or criminal penalties and measures
Westminster
£7,500
£7,500
Referral for criminal prosecution is theoretically
possible but has never been used
Australia
NA*
NA*
Possible permanent loss of access to the register
Canada
CA$200,000
£113,000
Up to 2 years in prison,
2-year lobbying ban
EU
€60,000
£50,000
Removal from the register
Prohibition of reregistration for a period of up to
2 years and publication of the measure on the
website
France
€15,000
£12,500
Up to 1 year in prison
Germany
€60,000
£51,000
Ban on access to the Bundestag
Holyrood
£5,000
£5,000
Reports can be issued to Scottish Parliament
Ireland
€2,500
£2,100
Automatic penalty (EUR 200) for sending late
declarations
Up to 2 years in prison
USA
$200,000
£154,000
Up to 5 years in prison
*Australia can impose 昀椀nes on lobbyists, however, this happens at the state level rather than at the federal level. In South
Australia for example, punishments range up to AUS$30,000 or c. £15,000 and lobbyists can face up to 2 years in prison.
While clearer and more transparent regulations would be
good in and of themselves, it is clear that there will still
be infractions that occur. In these instances, it is essential
that there is an effective and clear way to punish lobbying
infractions.
In principle, Westminster has similar powers to many
comparable countries. However, the CIPR’s Failure by
Design report raises questions about whether ORCL has
the penalties available to punish those guilty of breaching
the Lobbying Act.
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CIPR / No Rules Britannia?
