Health & Safety Prosecutions

Corporate manslaughter, gross negligence manslaughter and health and safety offences are all prosecuted in the criminal courts.

Fatal accidents at the workplace have been the cause of on average 500 deaths per annum in the past five years. In response to criticism that the law failed to deal adequately with this type of offending, recent legislation such as the 2008 Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act and the Health and Safety Offences Act 2008 introduced a new series of criminal offences that an organisation or its senior staff may be exposed to in the event of a workplace death or accident.

Consequently, organisations found criminally liable for the workplace death of an employee, contractor or member of the public face stiff financial penalties while Company Directors and senior staff run a very real risk of imprisonment. The Special Crime Division of the CPS and police have also signalled their intent to use the powers at their disposal far more extensively than in the past and to focus on the responsibility of senior management and their contribution to any fatality.

We advise individuals and companies in enquiries related to corporate manslaughter, Health and Safety and common law gross negligence manslaughter prosecutions and investigations.