'To Bless All Mankind' November 21, 2016 ISSUE

Mercy for the corrupt who come clean?

<i>The Monitor’s</i> Editorial Board

Adapted from an article published in The Christian Science Monitor, July 26, 2016.

To expose and punish corruption, governments have long relied on tough tools, from wiretaps to time in prison. But what if a business volunteers that it committed bribery? Should the confession lead to mercy if the company also mends its ways and makes amends?

The issue is front-and-center for two countries, Tunisia and the United States, that are highly focused on curbing corruption. They are each in the midst of an experiment to find out if judicial leniency, granted in return for truth-telling, can be a major tool against corruption.

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