The
Home Secretary has again promised a law that will punish large corporations
whose failure to set or maintain standards causes a death.
David
Blunkett said a new Bill will be introduced to tighten corporate manslaughter
laws, rather than through an amendment to the Criminal Justice Bill currently
before Parliament.
Labour
promised a tightening of laws in its 1997 manifesto.
Under
the proposed law, companies will be subject to an unlimited fine and be given a
criminal record.
The
offence of corporate manslaughter already exists, but to get a conviction, it must
be proved that a senior individual within an organisation has been grossly
negligent. So far, there have been very few successful prosecutions.
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Diane
Sinclair, adviser, employment relations, at the Chartered Institute of
Personnel and Development, said she welcomed the move as it showed the
Government was focusing on health and safety issues.
A
timetable for legislation will be announced this autumn.
