Criminal liability remains on the agenda

The Government has said it is still committed to introducing laws to make
companies and public bodies criminally liable for deaths caused by poor safety
management – despite the fact there was no bill on the issue in the Queen’s
Speech in June.

It had been hoped the new Safety Bill, which would have included the
commitment to an offence of corporate killing, would be introduced in the first
session of the new Parliament following the General Election.

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A Home Office spokesman said the Government was still assessing the findings
from its consultation on the issue, which reported in September.

Before the election, then Home Secretary Jack Straw indicated he was looking
at the possibility of extending the law by banning managers whose actions lead
to deaths in the workplace from working in such roles again.