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Manslaughter Prosecution of Council is "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.
David
Bergman, Director of the CCA said today:
"This
is a landmark decision. It does not reflect any
change in the law but a change in the way work-related
deaths are investigated. Since the introduction
of new police procedures in 1998 (which were revised
last year), work-related deaths now tend to be the
subject to manslaughter investigations by the police.
Prior to the introduction of these procedures such
deaths may not even have been investigated by the
police"
| To
read a briefing on how councils can be prosecuted
for manslaughter, click
here |
Gillian
Beckingham, the design services manager of the council
has also been charged with manslaughter over the outbreak
of Legionnaires' Disease in Cumbrias
the
disease was caused by a 30-year-old air conditioning
unit at the council-run Forum 28 arts complex
To
read about other on-going manslaughter cases,
convictions and acquittals click
here
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