Holding companies to account for deaths: Is the adoption of the offence of corporate manslaughter the answer?

After a number of incidents in the United Kingdom involving serious loss of life dating back as far as the Piper Alpha oil rig fire and including the Herald of Free Enterprise disaster, several serious train crashes (Southall, Paddington, Hatfield and Potters Bar) and the Marchioness boat tragedy, there were calls for corporations to be held accountable in a way that was not possible under the then current UK legislation. In New Zealand following the release of the report of the Commission of Inquiry into the Pike River Mining Tragedy there have been calls from relatives of the deceased to introduce legislation for the same purpose in New Zealand ... READ MORE

Patricia Finlayson ACIS - NZLawyer - December 2012