Corporate Manslaughter Bill Published

A Bill dealing with the issue of corporate manslaughter has finally been published in Parliament this week, some 9 years after being promised by the Labour Government.

The new Bill entitled the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Bill makes provision for a new offence of corporate manslaughter (to be called corporate homicide in Scotland) and for this to apply to companies and other incorporated bodies, Government departments and similar bodies and police forces.

However, it falls far short of what many Trade Unions, safety groups and organisations such as the CCA have called for. For example, the bill does not remove crown immunity for all health and safety offences, or increase penalties for health and safety offences.
The Bill, as expected, does not place specific legal health and safety duties on directors of companies.

Earlier this year the Health and Safety Commission indicated that it would not be making a decision on recommending a new legal duty on directors until after the corporate manslaughter bill had been finalised.

TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber's first response was to welcome the Bill, "This bill has been a long time coming. We will study the detail, but hope it will make it easier to bring prosecutions against companies whose negligence has contributed to the deaths of employers or members of the public.We also urge the government to look at the issue of placing specific legal health and safety duties on directors of companies either through this bill or separately.", he said in a TUC press release.

Download the Bill and Explanation notes here

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