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28 July 2005 - Draft of Manslaughter Bill
to be Scrutinised
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The Draft of the Corporate Manslaughter Bill, published by the
Government in March this year, is to be scrutinised by two select committees
created by the Home Affairs and Work and Pensions Committees.
The Draft Bill in March proposed that companies and
organisations be held to account where senior managers had gross failings when
fatalities occurred.
However, committees have said, under common law manslaughter
charges, it has been impossible to prosecute large companies due to the
complexity of their management structures.
Unions also have been critical of the bill, mainly the absence
of any Directors duties.
Mr. Brendan Barber, TUC General Secretary commented:
"Under the draft bill only corporations will be able to be
held to account. That leads to two problems. The first is that it is not
corporations that kill people. A corporation is just a piece a paper. It is
actually the decisions of those at the top of organisations, or their lack of
actions, that lead to deaths. The other problem is that you can’t put a
corporation in prison."
The Corporate Manslaughter Bill can be accessed by clicking the
following:
The Governments Draft Bill for Reform
Article by Alexandra Johnston
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