Home
About
Newsletter
Advice & Assistance
Researh & Briefings
Deaths, Inquests & Prosecutions
Corporate  Crime & safety Database
Safety Statistics
Obtaining Safety Information
CCA Responses to Consultation Documents
CCA Advocacy
CCA Press Releases
CCA Publications
Support the CCA
Bibliography
Search the CCA site
Contact Us
Quick Links ->
CCA Press Releases - 2004
2005 Press Releases
2003 Press Releases
2002 Press Releases
1999-2001 Press Releases

CCA Press Releases - 2004

Click on title for full press release


2 Dec 2004 BHOPAL 20 YEARS ON: New Manslaughter Bill unlikely to bring British companies causing death abroad to account.
British Companies whose serious negligence causes deaths abroad will not be brought to account as a result of the Government's new manslaughter bill, due to be published this month. The government is planning to restrict the application of its new offence of corporate manslaughter so that it only applies to companies that cause death in Britain. The CCA has written to the Home Secretary today - on the 20th anniversary of the Bhopal disaster - urging him to reconsider the Government's position on this matter.
23 Nov 2004 CCA Comment on Queens Speech
"We are pleased that the Government will soon be publishing a draft bill, but it should be noted that the Labour government first promised reform in October 1997 - and it was a manifesto commitment in March 2001. An apparent lack of Government commitment to reform has resulted, over the last couple of years, in a series of broken commitments to publish a draft bill. These delays now mean that legal reform appears dependent on the Labour Government winning the next election. ......."
18 Oct 2004 ALLIANCE TO ASSIST FAMILIES BEREAVED FROM
WORK-RELATED DEATHS

Families bereaved from work-related deaths can now receive even better independent advice on investigation and prosecution issues following work-related deaths as a result of joint working between two charities - the CCA and the Public Law Project
14 Sep 2004 GOVERNMENT’S SAFETY POLICIES "INCONSISTENT
WITH RESEARCH" NEW REPORT CONCLUDES

Central planks of the Government/Health and Safety Commission's current health and safety strategy are "inconsistent with the national and international published research on the most effective strategies to improve worker and public safety”, says a report published today (15 September 2004) by the Centre for Corporate Accountability. The report, "Making Companies Safe: What Works?"raises serious questions about the Government’s claimed commitment to pursue policies that are ‘evidence-based’
Embargoed: 00.01 am 15th September 2004
25 Jul 2004

SELECT COMMITTEE CHALLENGES GOVERNMENT TO SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASE THE RESOURCES TO THE HEALTH AND SAFETY EXECUTIVE AND INTRODUCE LEGISLATION ON DIRECTOR DUTIES
The Government should give substantial new resources to the Health and Safety Commission/Executive (HSC/E) in order for it to double the number of inspectors over a six year period, and change prosecutions procedures, according to a report published by the parliamentary Work and Pensions select committee which published its report today.

27 Jun 2004 "KEEP THE SAFETY REGULATION OF RAILWAYS INDEPENDENT", DISASTER FAMILY AND SAFETY GROUPS TELL THE GOVERNMENT
The regulation of safety should continue to be the responsibility of the Health and Safety Executive and not be transferred to the Department of Transport or any other body, safety groups have told the Department of Transport in a submission to its Rail Review which is due to report this summer. The Submission also questions the Secretary of State's view that there are too many safety standards enforced in an over-cautious manner.
25 Jun 2004 HSE'S RESTRICTIVE POLICY ON PUBLIC SAFETY
"UNLAWFUL" SAYS LEGAL ADVICE

The Health and Safety Executive's new policy on public safety - which stops HSE inspectors enforcing public safety duties upon employers in certain circumstances - is "unlawful" says a legal opinion obtained by the Centre for Corporate Accountability. The legal opinion has been given by two public law specialists, barrister Michael Fordham - one of Britain's top barristers in the field - and John Halford from the solicitors, Bindman and Partners. It was sought by the Centre for Corporate Accountability after the HSE refused to investigate a number of deaths of members of public.
08 Jun 2004 NON-UK EUROPEAN BUSINESSES ESCAPE HEALTH AND SAFETY LAW ENFORCEMENT
Non-UK European businesses providing services in Britain on a non-permanent basis may no longer have to comply with British health and safety law if the European Parliament and Council of Ministers agrees to the text of a new Framework Directive currently under consultation. The Health and Safety Executive and Local Authorities will not be able to inspect, investigate, impose enforcement notices or lay criminal charges against the company or individuals for any breaches of health and safety law, according to the "Directive on Services in the Internal market".
27 May 2004 MAJOR POLICY SHIFT MEANS THAT CERTAIN DEATHS AND INJURIES OF MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC NO LONGER INBESTIGATED BY THE HSE
Deaths and injuries of members of the public, which until recently would have been investigated by the Health and Safety Executive, will no longer be subject to inquiry, the Centre for Corporate Accountability has discovered.
The HSE will also no longer inspect hospitals, the police, local authorities and others to see whether they are complying with their public safety duties.
19 May 2004

NINE "APPRENTICE" WORKERS DIED WHILST RECEIVING GOVERNMENT-FUNDED TRAINING, CCA INVESTIGATION REVEALS
In the last twenty months, nine apprentice workers - all under the age of 23 - have been killed on work placements as part of Government funded courses, the Centre for Corporate Accountability can reveal.

The release of these figures comes on the day (Wednesday 19th May 2004) that the Safety Minister will be giving oral evidence to the Select Committee on Work and Pensions concerning the work of the Health and safety Commission.

21 Mar 2004

CCA ASKED TO GIVE ORAL EVIDENCE TO SELECT COMMITTEE ON WORK OF THE HSE
The CCA has been asked to give oral evidence to the Select Committee on Work and Pensions on Wednesday 24 March at 10.45 am in the Grimond Room, Portcullis House.

The Select Committee is undertaking an enquiry into the work of the Health and Safety Commission and Executive.

3 Mar 2004 HOME OFFICE MINISTER TO SPEAK AT MAJOR CONFERENCE ON "CORPORATE KILLING"
Home Office Minister, Baroness Scotland has agreed to speak at a major conference in London on 29 April 2004 on 'Corporate Killing' organised by the Centre for Corporate Accountability. The Government is due to publish its new proposals to reform the law of corporate manslaughter in the month prior to the conference. The conference will examine these proposals in detail and consider how effective they would be in promoting worker and public safety and in holding companies, public sector bodies and directors/senior managers to account. Speakers representing trade unions, employers and safety organisations are speaking along with human rights lawyers and hazard campaigners.
12 Feb 2004 MANSLAUGHTER PROSECUTION AGAINST COUNCIL "LANDMARK DECISION"
The decision by the Crown Prosecution Service to charge Barrow Borough Council for the manslaughter of seven people who died from legionnaires disease in 2002 is the first time a Council has been charged with manslaughter. The CCA said: "It does not reflect any change in the law but a change in the way work-related deaths are investigated"
6 Feb 2004 ONE OF BRITAIN'S WORST WORK-RELATED 'DISASTERS'
"The deaths of 18 Cockle Pickers in Morecambe bay is one of Britain's worst work-related disasters in recent years. If it is discovered that these people had been asked to undertake this work for a company, business or individual, a manslaughter investigation needs to be carried out into whether their deaths were the result of gross negligence on their part." says the CCA
28 Jan 2004

'CORPORATION OF LONDON' UNDER SCRUTINY OVER WORK-RELATED DEATH
An 84-year-old North London man's daily walk in his local park ended in tragedy, when a heavy goods vehicle, on park business, reversed into him in March last year. Martin and Celia Glass have issued a statement

12 Jan 2004

SCOTLAND JUDGES DEVELOP LAW OF CORPORATE HOMICIDE
Scotland's High Court of Justiciary sitting as a Court of Criminal Appeal has ruled for the first time that companies can be prosecuted for the offence of ‘culpable homicide’. It has also established a principle of law – wider than the legal test that exists in England – that allows companies to be prosecuted without needing to prosecute a director or senior manager.

Home -> CCA Press Releases
Page last updated on February 23, 2005