六、七十年代，正值香港人口急遽增多及经济急速发展的时期，因为人口不断膨胀，资源并不足以应付社会的需要，令贪污成为社会上严重的问题。七十年代初期，社会上汇聚了一股强大的舆论压力。公众人士不断向政府施压，要求采取果断行动，打击贪污。至一九七三年，香港总警司葛柏被发现拥有逾四百三十多万港元怀疑从贪污得来的财富，引起积压已久的民怨爆发，要求政府正视贪污问题。当时的港督麦理浩爵士认为有需要成立一个完全独立的机构，全力打击贪污，以挽回公众的信心，于是在一九七四年，廉政公署正式成立。

　　The Need for ICAC

　　Hong Kong was undergoing massive population growth and fast economic development in the 60’s and 70’s. However, insufficient resources were not able to satisfy the insatiable needs of the exploding population, corruption became a major social problem. In the early 70’s, the ground swell began to come from all sides in the society and pressed for the government to take decisive action to fight graft. Until 1973, when Chief Superintendent of Police Godber was found owning over HKD4.3 million wealth earned from jobbery, Governor Sir Murray MacLehose at that time thought that an independent anti-corruption organization was needed to eradicate such crime and to gain back public confidence. ICAC was then set up in 1974.