Skip to content

22 May, 2025

  • Saved Articles
  • My Account
  • Subscribe
  • Log In
  • Log Out

Board Agenda

  • Governance
  • Strategy
  • Risk
  • Ethics
  • News
  • Insight
    • Categories

      • View all
      • Governance
      • Strategy
      • Risk
      • Ethics
      • Board Expertise
      • finance
      • Technology
    • UK Corporate Governance Code

      Board meetings ‘are not up to scratch’

      Nearly three-quarters of board members believe the board’s performance in meetings needs improvement, an expert...

    • gender pay gap

      Act now to close the gender pay gap

      This month, it is 55 years since the Equal Pay Act, yet pay inequality persists....

    • monitor sustainability

      How to equip the auditco to monitor sustainability

      The board’s expanding remit to oversee non-financial reporting calls for significant reforms, with stakeholder trust...

  • Comment
      • View all
    • gender pay gap

      Act now to close the gender pay gap

      This month, it is 55 years since the Equal Pay Act, yet pay inequality persists....

    • leadership on AI How to get ahead on AI leadership

      The question isn’t how AI will change business—it’s whether leaders can harness it to drive...

    • canada tariffs Corporate governance to the fore in Canada

      As Canada responds to the tariff conditions set by the US, companies need to take...

  • Interviews
      • View All Interviews
      • Podcasts
      • Webinars
    • UK Corporate Governance Code Board meetings ‘are not up to scratch’

      Nearly three-quarters of board members believe the board’s performance in meetings needs improvement, an expert...

    • financial sanctions Tariffs chaos drives boardroom focus on resilience

      Business leaders will prioritise the resilience of their organisations in the face of economic upheaval...

    • ai boards Corporate world has a ‘huge appetite’ for artificial intelligence

      AI could change boardrooms to the extent that directors’ duties would change too, a panel...

  • Board Careers
  • Resource Centre
      • White Paper Downloads
      • Book Reviews
      • Board Advisory & Corporate Services
    • Route to the top 2025

      Route to the Top 2025

      Heidrick & Struggles’ report draws on an analysis of the profiles of the 1,232 CEOs...

    • Director Reference Guide: Fostering the board-CEO relationship

      This Board Agenda Director Reference Guide on fostering the board-CEO relationship provides practical advice to...

    • Forvis Mazars AI 2025

      Performance Pulse: Are UK businesses prepared for AI?

      Forvis Mazars measured the AI preparedness of more than 300 UK businesses: 97% say they're...

  • Events
  • Search by topic
    • Governance
    • Strategy
    • Risk
    • Ethics
    • Regulation
    • ESG
    • Investor Relations
    • Careers
    • Board Expertise
    • finance
    • Technology

Corporate manslaughter penalty increased to £20m

by Katherine Blackler on November 13, 2015

Sentencing body sets new guidelines for corporate manslaughter fines after past penalties considered too weak.

Image: Shutterstock

Image: Shutterstock
Image: Shutterstock

New guidelines on corporate manslaughter from the UK Sentencing Council will affect firms with turnover above £50m and replace sanctions thought to be insufficient.

According to The Guardian, the guidelines suggest that judges should impose fines in relation to the size of the convicted organisation. Under the Corporate Manslaughter and Homicide Act 2007, there is no upper limit on penalties. A £20m fine level will apply to firms with an annual turnover of more than £50m, and up to £10m for fatal health and safety offences.

Fine levels, the Sentencing Council said, should be large enough to have an economic impact that would bring home to an organisation the importance of operating in a safe environment. The guidelines for judges in England and Wales are being strengthened because existing sanctions were felt to be too low to act as a deterrent.

Judges and magistrates can still impose punishments outside the recommended range if they believe they are dealing with an exceptional case.

Fines for companies found guilty of health and safety, food safety and food hygiene offences will also be significantly increased

Fines for companies found guilty of health and safety, food safety and food hygiene offences will also be significantly increased, according to the newspaper.

Michael Caplan QC, a member of the Sentencing Council, told The Guardian: “These guidelines will introduce a consistent approach to sentencing, ensuring fair and proportionate sentences for those who cause death or injury to their employees and the public or put them at risk. These offences can have very serious consequences and it is important that sentences reflect these.”

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Google+
  • LinkedIn
  • Mail

Related Posts

  • Companies House sets out its stall for 2023
    August 2, 2022
    Companies house plan

    The Companies House Corporate Plan 2022-2023 outlines how the organisation intends to achieve the goals outlined in its 2020-2025 strategy.

  • Governance experts call for change in corporate law
    November 21, 2023
    governance law

    Board duties should go ‘beyond their traditional role of representing shareholders’ interests’, writes a group of 15 academics.

  • Companies that make political donations are 'less risky'
    June 28, 2022
    Businessman handing over a cheque

    Research finds lower levels of both systemic and idiosyncratic risk among politically connected businesses.

  • Why risk perception is vital
    June 9, 2022

    It is easy to see the tragic situation unfolding in Ukraine in terms of a failure of risk perception by both Russia and the West.

For thoughtful journalism, expert insights on corporate governance and an extensive library of reports, guides and tools to help boards and directors navigate the complexities of their roles, subscribe to Board Agenda

corporate manslaughter, corporate risk, legal, Regulation, risk

Search


Follow Us

Register Free

Stay in the know! Register to access our latest governance news; plus receive updates about our events and podcasts – Sign up here

 

Most Popular

Featured Resources

wef global risks 2025

The Global Risks Report 2025

The 20th edition of the Global Risks Report reveals an increasingly fractured global...
Supply chain management cover

Strategic Oversight in Supply Chain Management: A Guide for Corporate Boards 2025

Supply chains have become complex, interdependent and opaque and—according to research...
OB-Cyber-Security

Cyber Security: What Boards Need to Know

Maintaining firewalls, protecting servers and filtering malicious emails rarely make...

The IA’S Principles Of Remuneration 2024 2025

This guidance from the Investment Association is aimed at assisting remuneration...
Diligent 2024 leadership tech cover

Leadership, decision-making & the role of technology: Business survey 2024

This research report by Board Agenda and Diligent sheds light on how board directors...

Director Reference Guide: Navigating Conflict in the Boardroom

The 'Director Reference Guide' on navigating conflict in the boardroom provides practical...
Nasdaq 2024 governance report cover

Nasdaq 2024 Global Governance Pulse

This Nasdaq survey gathered data from more than 870 board members, executives, and...

Becoming a non-executive director (4th edition)

Board composition is the subject of much debate, while the role of the non-executive...
art & science brainloop new cover

The Art & Science of Creating an Effective Board

Boards are coming under more scrutiny and pressure than ever before from regulators,...
SAA First time NED guide

First Time Guide for Non-Executive Directors

The role of the non-executive director has never been more vital: to advise, support,...

Register Free

Stay in the know! Register to access our latest governance news; plus receive updates about our events and podcasts. Register


  • Editors & Contributors
  • Editorial Advisory Board
  • Board Advisory & Corporate Services
  • Media Marketing Solutions
  • Contact Us
  • About Us
  • Board Director Network
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookies
|

Copyright © 2025 Questor Media Group Ltd.

  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sitemap