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21

 
 

House of Commons

 
 

Monday 4th December 2006

 

Report Stage Proceedings

 

Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Bill


 

New ClauseS

 

Individual officers’ liability

 

Mr Andrew Dismore

 

John McDonnell

 

Ms Katy Clark

 

Withdrawn  nc1

 

To move the following Clause:—

 

‘(1)    

An officer of an organisation is guilty of corporate manslaughter or corporate

 

homicide if—

 

(a)    

that organisation is guilty of an offence under section 1; and

 

(b)    

that officer’s conduct by way of act or omission contributed to its breach

 

referred to in section 1(1).

 

(2)    

In this section, “officer” means the chairman, managing director, chief executive

 

or secretary of the organisation.’.

 


 

Individual officers’ liability: penalties

 

Mr Andrew Dismore

 

John McDonnell

 

Ms Katy Clark

 

Not called  NC2

 

To move the following Clause:—

 

‘An officer of an organisation who is guilty of corporate manslaughter or

 

corporate homicide under section [Individual officers’ liability] is liable on

 

conviction to a term of imprisonment or a fine.’.

 



 
 

Report Stage Proceedings: 4th December 2006              

22

 

Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Bill, continued

 
 

Liability of holding company

 

Mr Dominic Grieve

 

David Davis

 

James Brokenshire

 

Mr Patrick McLoughlin

 

Withdrawn  NC3

 

To move the following Clause:—

 

‘(1)    

In the case of a corporation which is found guilty of corporate manslaughter, any

 

holding company of such corporation shall be guilty of an offence if the holding

 

company failed to take all reasonable steps to prevent such corporation from

 

committing the offence.

 

(2)    

A corporation that is guilty of an offence under this section shall be liable on

 

conviction on indictment to a fine.

 

(3)    

An offence under this section is indictable in Scotland only in the High Court of

 

Justiciary.

 

(4)    

For the purposes of this section the term “holding company” shall have the

 

meaning set out in section 736 of the Companies Act 1985 (c. 6).’.

 


 

Members of senior management liable to disqualification as company directors

 

Mr John Denham

 

Mrs Janet Dean

 

Harry Cohen

 

Mr Jimmy Hood

 

Not called  nc4

 

To move the following Clause:—

 

‘Where an offence under section 1 committed by an organisation to which that

 

section applies is proved to have been committed with the consent or connivance

 

of, or to have been attributable to any neglect on the part of, any member of the

 

senior management of the organisation who is a director of a company, section

 

2(1) of the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986 (c. 46) (disqualification

 

on conviction of indictable offence) shall apply to him as if he had been convicted

 

of an offence falling within that subsection.’.

 


 

Proceedings against unincorporated bodies other than Crown bodies

 

Mr Edward Davey

 

Jo Swinson

 

Lorely Burt

 

Not called  nc5

 

To move the following Clause:—

 

‘(1)    

Proceedings for an offence under section 1, alleged to have been committed by

 

any unincorporated association or body other than a Crown body, shall be brought


 
 

Report Stage Proceedings: 4th December 2006              

23

 

Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Bill, continued

 
 

in the name of that association or body (and not in that of any individual member

 

or other person) and for the purposes of such proceedings any rules of court

 

relating to the service of documents apply as if that association or body were a

 

corporation.

 

(2)    

A fine imposed on an unincorporated association or body on its conviction of

 

such an offence shall be paid out of the funds of that association or body.

 

(3)    

In a case in which an unincorporated association or body is charged with such an

 

offence, section 33 of the Criminal Justice Act 1925 and Schedule 3 to the

 

Magistrates Court Act 1980 (procedure on charge of an offence against a

 

corporation) have effect in like manner as in the case of a corporation so

 

charged.’.

 


 

Offence by senior manager

 

Ian Stewart

 

Tony Lloyd

 

Mr Frank Doran

 

Mr David Clelland

 

Mr Terry Rooney

 

Mr David Anderson

 

Not called  NC6

 

To move the following Clause:—

 

‘(1)    

A senior manager of an organisation is guilty of an offence if by his acts or

 

omissions which amounted to a gross breach of his duty he could have prevented

 

an offence under section 1.

 

(2)    

For the purposes of this section a person is a “senior manager” of an organisation

 

if he plays a significant role in the making of decisions about how the activities

 

of the organisation are managed or organised and includes the chairman,

 

managing director, chief executive, secretary or other director of the organisation.

 

(3)    

A person guilty of an offence under subsection (1) is liable on conviction on

 

indictment to—

 

(a)    

imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months, or

 

(b)    

a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum,

 

    

or to both.’.

 


 

Aiding and abetting

 

Ian Stewart

 

Tony Lloyd

 

Mr Frank Doran

 

Mr David Clelland

 

Mr Terry Rooney

 

Mr David Anderson

 

Not called  NC7

 

To move the following Clause:—


 
 

Report Stage Proceedings: 4th December 2006              

24

 

Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Bill, continued

 
 

‘Any company director or senior manager who is found to have aided, abetted,

 

counselled or procured the commission of an offence of corporate manslaughter

 

or corporate homicide shall be liable to imprisonment for a period not exceeding

 

seven years.’.

 


 

Ian Stewart

 

Tony Lloyd

 

Mr Frank Doran

 

Mr David Clelland

 

Mr Terry Rooney

 

Mr David Anderson

 

Not selected  33

 

Page  1,  line  1  [Clause  1],  at end insert ‘of corporate manslaughter and corporate

 

homicide’.

 

Mr Alistair Carmichael

 

Not selected  25

 

Page  1,  line  6  [Clause  1],  at beginning insert ‘in England and Wales and Northern

 

Ireland’.

 

Mr Alistair Carmichael

 

Not selected  26

 

Page  1,  line  7  [Clause  1],  at end insert ‘, or

 

(c)    

in Scotland amounts to a reckless disregard for the safety of the deceased.

 

(1A)    

A senior manager of an organisation is reckless where as regards a circumstance

 

or as to a possible result of an act he is or ought to have been aware of an obvious

 

and serious risk that the circumstance exists or that the result will follow but

 

nonetheless acts where no reasonable person would do so.’.

 

Mr Andrew Dismore

 

John McDonnell

 

Mr Dominic Grieve

 

David Davis

 

James Brokenshire

 

Mr Patrick McLoughlin

 

Negatived on division  1

 

Page  1,  line  11  [Clause  1],  at end insert—

 

‘(d)    

a partnership;

 

(e)    

an unincorporated association.’.

 

Mr Edward Davey

 

Jo Swinson

 

Lorely Burt

 

Not called  22

 

Page  1,  line  11  [Clause  1],  at end insert—

 

‘(d)    

a partnership (as defined in section 1 of the Partnership Act 1890 (c. 39)),

 

where that partnership is subject to some or all of the provisions of the

 

Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974;

 

(e)    

an unincorporated association or body, where it is subject to some or all

 

of the provisions of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.’.


 
 

Report Stage Proceedings: 4th December 2006              

25

 

Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Bill, continued

 
 

Mr Alistair Carmichael

 

Not called  27

 

Page  1,  line  11  [Clause  1],  at end insert—

 

‘(d)    

a business association’.

 


 

Mr Andrew Dismore

 

John McDonnell

 

Mr Edward Davey

 

Jo Swinson

 

Lorely Burt

 

Ms Katy Clark

 

Not moved  2

 

Page  2,  line  4  [Clause  1],  at end insert—

 

‘(iii)    

the actual managing or organising of a discrete site or sites where

 

the organisation’s activities take place.’.

 

Mr Edward Davey

 

Jo Swinson

 

Lorely Burt

 

Not called  21

 

Page  2,  line  4  [Clause  1],  at end insert—

 

‘(iii)    

the making of decisions about how a discrete site or sites where

 

the organisation’s activities take place are to be managed or

 

organised.’.

 

Mr Alistair Carmichael

 

Not selected  28

 

Page  2,  line  9  [Clause  1],  at end insert—

 

‘(5A)    

Where an offence under any of the relevant statutory provisions committed by a

 

body corporate is proved to have been committed with the consent or connivance

 

of, or to have been attributable to any neglect or recklessness on the part of, any

 

senior manager, he as well as the organisation shall be guilty of that offence and

 

shall be liable to be proceeded against and punished accordingly.’.

 

Mr Alistair Carmichael

 

Not selected  29

 

Page  2,  line  11  [Clause  1],  after ‘to’, insert ‘(a)’.

 

Mr Alistair Carmichael

 

Not selected  30

 

Page  2,  line  11  [Clause  1],  at end insert—

 

‘(b)    

an admonition;

 

(c)    

a compensation order.’.

 

Mr Alistair Carmichael

 

Not selected  31

 

Page  2,  line  13  [Clause  1],  at end insert—

 

‘(8)    

Any penalty imposed under subsection (5A) above shall be notified by the court

 

to the Registrar of Companies and the Registrar of Companies in Scotland.’.


 
 

Report Stage Proceedings: 4th December 2006              

26

 

Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Bill, continued

 
 

Mr Edward Davey

 

Jo Swinson

 

Lorely Burt

 

Not moved  23

 

Page  2,  line  16  [Clause  2],  after ‘any’, insert ‘duty imposed on it by a statutory

 

provision listed in Schedule [List of statutory provisions] or any.’.

 

Mr Douglas Hogg

 

Not called  78

 

Page  2,  line  19  [Clause  2],  at end insert—

 

‘(aa)    

a duty to members of the public who may be affected by the way in which

 

the persons referred to in paragraph (a) perform their duties;’.

 

Mr Andrew Dismore

 

John McDonnell

 

Mr Dominic Grieve

 

David Davis

 

James Brokenshire

 

Mr Patrick McLoughlin

 

Negatived on division  3

 

Page  2,  line  20  [Clause  2],  at end insert—

 

‘(bb)    

a duty owed in respect of the detention of any person in lawful custody;’.

 

Mr Dominic Grieve

 

David Davis

 

James Brokenshire

 

Mr Patrick McLoughlin

 

Not selected  72

 

Page  2,  line  22  [Clause  2],  after ‘supply’, insert ‘or provision’.

 

Mr John Denham

 

Mrs Janet Dean

 

Harry Cohen

 

Mr Dominic Grieve

 

David Davis

 

James Brokenshire

 

Not called  12

 

Page  2,  line  29  [Clause  2],  at end insert—

 

‘(d)    

a duty owed to anyone held in custody.’.

 

Secretary John Reid

 

Agreed to  47

 

Page  2,  line  30  [Clause  2],  at end insert—

 

‘( )    

A reference in subsection (1) to a duty owed under the law of negligence includes

 

a reference to a duty that would be owed under the law of negligence but for any

 

statutory provision under which liability is imposed in place of liability under that

 

law.’.

 

Secretary John Reid

 

Agreed to  48

 

Page  2,  line  33  [Clause  2],  at end insert—

 

‘( )    

For the purposes of this Act there is to be disregarded—


 
 

Report Stage Proceedings: 4th December 2006              

27

 

Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Bill, continued

 
 

(a)    

any rule of the common law that has the effect of preventing a duty of

 

care from being owed by one person to another by reason of the fact that

 

they are jointly engaged in unlawful conduct;

 

(b)    

any such rule that has the effect of preventing a duty of care from being

 

owed to a person by reason of his acceptance of a risk of harm.’.

 

Mr Edward Davey

 

Jo Swinson

 

Lorely Burt

 

Not called  24

 

Page  2,  line  33  [Clause  2],  at end insert—

 

‘(3A)    

The Secretary of State may amend Schedule [List of statutory provisions] by

 

order. An order under this section is subject to the affirmative resolution

 

procedure.’.

 


 

Mr John Denham

 

Mrs Janet Dean

 

Harry Cohen

 

Mr Dominic Grieve

 

David Davis

 

James Brokenshire

 

Not called  13

 

Page  3,  line  3  [Clause  2],  at end insert—

 

‘ “custody” includes being held in prison, secure mental healthcare facilities,

 

secure children’s homes, secure training centres, immigration removal

 

centres, court cells and police cells, and being subject to supervision by

 

court, prisoner and detainee escort services;’.

 

Secretary John Reid

 

Agreed to  49

 

Page  3,  line  16  [Clause  2],  at end insert—

 

‘“statutory provision” means provision contained in, or in an instrument

 

made under, any Act, any Act of the Scottish Parliament or any Northern

 

Ireland legislation.’.

 

Mr Edward Davey

 

Jo Swinson

 

Lorely Burt

 

Not called  42

 

Page  3,  line  23  [Clause  3],  leave out subsection (2).

 

Mr John Denham

 

Mrs Janet Dean

 

Harry Cohen

 

Mr Dominic Grieve

 

David Davis

 

James Brokenshire

 

Not called  14

 

Page  3,  line  25  [Clause  3],  leave out ‘or (b)’ and insert ‘(b) or (d)’.


 
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