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Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act of 2007

This episode of the Law Report focuses on the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act of 2007. This is an intermediate level course.



The Act introduces a new offence across the UK for prosecuting companies and other organisations where there has been a gross failing throughout the organisation in the management of health and safety with fatal consequences. Most of the provisions come into force in April 2008.

It has taken ten years for the Act to reach the statute book. Following recommendations by the Law Commission in 1996, the government made a commitment to introduce legislation when it was elected in 1997. The failure to secure prosecutions in such high profile cases as the Herald Of Free Enterprise and the Hatfield rail disaster had led to widespread concern that the law was unable to hold large organisations to account and failed to deliver justice for the victims of major disasters. It was that impetus that finally led to the government introducing the legislation.

The information in this podcast represented the legal position when it was recorded on 06/09/2007

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Aims and Outcomes

This podcast explores new Act in detail and how it links with health and safety legislation.

It will be useful for any lawyers with an interest in the Act and how it will affect employers’ health and safety obligations

The interview lasts for 39 minutes. It will take you a further 20 minutes to complete the questionnaire. You will need to get 50 per cent of the questions right to gain your CPD.

Learning outcomes

After listening to the interview, you will understand:

  • The provisions of the Act and how they differs from previous provisions
  • The issues around establishing liability under the Act
  • The link between the Act and the health and safety regime
  • The exemptions under the Act
  • The penalties that can be applied under the Act
  • The likely impact of the Act on prosecutions
  • How the Act will affect corporations and what will happen if they are charged and found guilty under the Act
Judith Seddon
Judith Seddon

Judith Seddon has been a partner at Russell Jones & Walker since 2002, having joined the criminal department in 1997. She studied law at King's College London, graduating in 1991 with first class honours. She obtained her LLM at Yale Law School in the U.S.A. in 1992 and a BCL from New College Oxford in 1995.

She has been involved in a wide range of high profile cases, including one of the biggest police corruption trials ever brought. She has experience in representing individuals who have been or are being investigated by Customs & Excise, the Serious Fraud Office and the Financial Services Authority. She has regularly represented individuals who become the subject of a disciplinary investigation in their professional capacity.

She recently acted for one of the defendants in the Hatfield manslaughter prosecution and had an article published following the client's acquittal of all charges.

She is a member the LCCSA, the Association of Regulatory Lawyers and the Young Fraud Lawyers Association.

She has been published regularly on a wide range of legal topics, including corporate manslaughter and issues relating to the Financial Services Authority.

Judith is rated as a leader in her field in the 2007 edition of Chambers and Partners:

"Judith is rated by her clients for her excellent knowledge, impeccable preparation and solid provision of personal support Peers admire her as an articulate speaker and someone with the ability to distil and order the relevant information in a case swiftly".