A new offence - corporate killing

The government has confirmed that it intends to introduce a new law on corporate killing, Home Office minister Keith Bradley has unveiled. The proposals to be put forward are concerned with the criminal liability of those who kill when they do not intend to cause death or serious injury.

At a conference last month, he claimed: "Unless there are overwhelming reasons against doing this, it is reasonable to expect a large undertaking to be no less liable to prosecution for manslaughter than a private individual or a sole trader.

"The government is mindful of the need for business to continue to operate successfully," continues Bradley, "but corporations must operate responsibly, and effective sanctions against the kind of negligence or recklessness which kills are an important part of ensuring that."
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