What does the offence of bribery include?

The offence of bribery fundamentally revolves around the act of offering something of value to influence the actions of another in a position of authority or responsibility. This includes giving a bribe to induce a person to perform a relevant function improperly. The focus here is on the intention behind the act—specifically, the purpose of incentivizing someone to conduct themselves in a way that is not aligned with their duties or obligations.

Bribery often involves a situation where the recipient has a duty to act in the best interest of another party, whether it be a corporation, government body, or individual. By offering a bribe, the giver seeks to corrupt that duty, thereby leading to actions that are detrimental to the principles of fairness or legality.

The other contexts provided do not constitute bribery in a legal sense. For example, offering a gift to friends in a business context may not influence duties improperly and could fall within acceptable business practices such as networking or maintaining relationships. Negotiating contracts without any financial incentive typically describes a scenario where there is no corrupt intent involved. Lastly, receiving a commission for sales is a legitimate business practice, as long as it's part of an agreed-upon sales arrangement and does not sway the recipient's professional obligations improperly. Therefore, only the