Criminal Law involuntary manslaughter; corporate homicide - Essay Example

Corporate crimes have been and still continue to be in existence in all the organizations across all sectors and yet, until now, there hasnt been any statutory regulation that prohibits companies from indulging in such crimes and holds them accountable for any damage to an individuals life. Until now companies were required by law to pay civil damages in the form of compensation or fines as a gesture of acknowledgement of the loss suffered by the aggrieved party. However, considering the widespread existence of incidences of corporate manslaughter there is an urgent need for law to implement policies and legal restrictions on corporate organizations that act as a deterrent and help in preventing and controlling such crimes to a significant extent.

This paper on Criminal law attempts to study, analyze, investigate and discuss various aspects related to corporate homicide and corporate manslaughter in reference to the recent Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act, 2007. Recently, in the U.K. a new act called the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act, 2007 has been passed with an intention of transferring additional liability on the organizations and in turn safeguarding the interests of the society as a whole by preventing and controlling corporate misbehavior.

The new bill on Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide, intends to bring companies and other similar corporate bodies in England and Wales under corporate jurisdiction, to be tried and prosecuted for misconduct and negligence towards duties, which leads to a death of any individual working for such organizations, in the same manner as any individual who is charged with criminal offence. The bill once passed would allow the prosecution of corporate entities for breach of health and safety laws in the specified regions1.

There has been widespread