News Release
Corporate Manslaughter Legislation
Companies whose gross negligence leads to the death of individuals will now face prosecution for manslaughter under tough new legislation approved in July 2007.
Under the new law companies, organisations and, for the first time, Government bodies face an unlimited fine if they are found to have caused death due to their gross corporate health and safety failures.
On 26 July 2007 Justice Minister Maria Eagle said,"The Corporate Manslaughter Bill is a ground-breaking piece of legislation. This is about ensuring justice for victims of corporate failures. For too long it has been virtually impossible to prosecute large companies for management failures leading to deaths.
Today's Act changes this, for the first time companies and organisations can be found guilty of corporate manslaughter on the basis of gross corporate failures in health and safety. The Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act will make it easier to prosecute companies who fail to protect people.
We are sending out a very powerful deterrent message to those organisations which do not take their health and safety responsibilities seriously."
The Corporate Manslaughter Act comes into force on 6 April 2008.
10 Oct 2007