Taking into account the Law Reform Commission’s Report on Corporate Killing, the proposed Criminal Justice (Corporate Manslaughter) Bill will provide for the introduction of two new criminal offences. Corporate manslaughter will be an offence and will attach liability for fatalities to the corporate entity; financial penalties may be imposed on the corporate entity.
The offence of gross negligent management causing death will provide for criminal liability to be attributed to an individual serving in a senior managerial role within the entity and could result in a prison sentence if a person is found guilty of the offence.
The Minister for Justice and Law Reform, Dermot Ahern stated that “while the criminal law route should only be used where death has occurred as a result of flagrant abuse of the safety standards expected of companies and their managers, it is desirable that the criminal law would reflect the strength of societal disapproval for such events.”