Misconduct in public office

Judge-made law needs modernising, say the government's advisers

The criminal law needs to target serious misconduct by public officials, the Law Commission says in a report published today; but the ancient common-law offence of misconduct in a public office is not the way to do it.

Instead, the government’s law reform advisers for England and Wales recommend the creation of two new crimes:

• an offence of corruption in…