Peers back plans to extend planned corporate manslaughter legislation to custody deaths

Peers overwhelmingly defeated the government by backing plans to extend proposed corporate manslaughter legislation to deaths in custody yesterday.

They passed an amendment by 223 to 127 to extend liability under the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Bill to the prison service and others responsible for custodial settings.

The vote followed an impassioned speech by Lord Ramsbotham, the former chief inspector of prisons, in favour of the change.