Bill paves way to prosecute councils

Local authorities and care providers could be prosecuted for
corporate manslaughter under a proposed new bill if they fail to
comply with health and safety legislation, experts have
warned.

The draft Corporate Manslaughter Bill would tackle the difficulties
in prosecuting companies for manslaughter following incidents such
as rail crashes. But public bodies and their senior managers could
also find themselves at risk of prosecution.

A Home Office spokesperson said the draft bill would spell out how
public bodies were going to be made “clearly accountable”.

Health and safety policy adviser at the Employers’ Organisation
Steve Sumner said managers would have to be “acting recklessly with
regard to the health and safety of others” to face a possible
prosecution.

Gifty Edila, director of law at Kensington and Chelsea Council,
west London, said that risk assessments must be taken seriously.