Thenewmeasures,whichconsistofnewlyenactedlawsaswellasamendmentstoexistinglaws,establishthemostfar-reachinganticorruptionenforcementsystemtodateinMexico.ThesemeasuresstemfromaMay27,2015amendmenttotheMexicanConstitutionandwerepublishedthismonthinMexico'sFederalOfficialGazette.Thenewlyenactedlawsincludethefollowing:
ExistinglawsthatwereamendedundertheNationalAnti-CorruptionSystemincludetheFederalCriminalCode,theOrganicLawoftheFederalPublicAdministration,theTaxCoordinationLaw,theGeneralGovernmentAccountingLaw,andtheOrganicLawoftheAttorney-General'sOffice.
Notableprovisionsenactedunderthenewmeasuresincludethefollowing:
AmendedFederalCriminalCode
TheamendmentstotheFederalCriminalCodeestablishnewcorruptionoffensesandpenaltiesforpublicservantsandprivateparties.Forexample,privatepartiesaresubjecttoprosecutionunderanewformofinfluencepeddling(i.e.,improperlyinfluencingapublicofficialinconnectionwithpublicbusiness).Undertheamendments,privatepartiesmaybeprosecutedforparticipatinginpublicbusinesswithoutauthorization,claimingtohaveinfluenceoverpublicofficialswhoareauthorizedtomakedecisionsrelatedtopublicaffairs,andpromotingtheillicitresolutionofpublicaffairsmatters,inexchangeforabenefitforthemselvesorforathirdparty.Potentialpenaltiesforviolatingtheseprovisionsincludeimprisonmentforuptosixyearsandamonetaryfineequivalenttotheincomethedefendantwouldearnin100days.Inaddition,privatepartieswhoholdapubliccontract,permit,orconcessionandwho,inconnectionwiththatcontract,permit,orconcession,usefalseorforgedinformationinordertoobtainabenefitforthemselvesorforthirdparties,canbeimprisoneduptonineyearsandfinedinanamountequivalentto100daysofincome.
NewGeneralLawonAdministrativeAccountability
In2017,theGeneralLawonAdministrativeAccountabilitywillreplacetwoexistinglaws—theFederalAnti-CorruptionLawonPublicProcurementandtheFederalLawofAdministrativeAccountabilityofPublicOfficials.UndertheGeneralLawonAdministrativeAccountability,companiescanbeheldadministrativelyliablewhenthey:
Acompanycanbesanctionedforactscarriedoutbypersonswhoactedonbehalfofthecompanyinordertoobtainbenefitsforthecompany.
PenaltiesforviolationsoftheGeneralLawonAdministrativeAccountabilityincludeafineofuptotwotimesthebenefitsobtained,debarment,suspensionofactivities,liquidationofthecompany,andarequirementthatthecompanyindemnifygovernmentagencies.
UndertheGeneralLawonAdministrativeAccountability,acompanycanavoidliabilityiftherelevantauthoritydeterminesthatthecompanyhadinplaceanadequate"integritypolicy"(i.e.,anadequateanticorruptionandcompliancepolicy).Thelawprovidesguidelinesforcompaniesimplementingsuchapolicy,includingthatcompanies:
NewOrganicLawoftheAdministrativeJusticeFederalCourt
ThenewOrganicLawoftheAdministrativeJusticeFederalCourtabolishestheOrganicLawoftheTaxandAdministrativeJusticeFederalCourt.ThelawmandatesthattheAdministrativeJusticeFederalCourthasauthoritytosanctionbothpublicservantsandprivatepartiesforseriousadministrativeviolationsunderthenewNationalAnti-CorruptionSystem.Thecourt'sauthoritytosanctionprivateparties,however,doesnotimpairothergovernmentagencies'abilitytoimposesanctionsoncompaniesorindividuals.
AmendedFederalAccountingandAccountabilityLaw
UndertheFederalAccountingandAccountabilityLaw,acompanycanbeheldliableforfailingtocooperatewiththeFederalSuperiorAuditorinthecourseofananticorruptioninvestigation.Penaltiesincludeafinancialpenaltyinthenatureofataxassessmentinanamountofupto10,000timestheMeasureandUpdateUnit(currentlyapproximatelyUS$40,577),whichcanbeincreasedintheeventofrecurringoffenses.Thesesanctionsareindependentofothercriminalorcivilliability.
EffectiveDates
ThenewlypublishedlawsandamendmentsbecameeffectiveonJuly19,2016,exceptfortheGeneralLawonAdministrativeAccountability,whichwillbecomeeffectiveinJuly2017,andtheFederalCriminalCodeandtheOrganicLawoftheAttorney-General'sOffice,whichwillbecomeeffectiveupontheappointmentofanewheadoftheProsecutor'sOffice,whowillbefocusedonanticorruptionenforcement.
JonesDaywillcontinuetomonitortheimplementationofthenewNationalAnti-CorruptionSystemandrelatedevents,andwewillprovideadditionalupdatesonkeydevelopments.