The regulatory burden on companies and individuals has increased markedly in recent years.

New guidance from the Sentencing Guidelines Council on sentencing in corporate manslaughter and health and safety cases recommends substantial fines and publicity orders for those convicted of offences in this area. Corker Binning’s health and safety and corporate manslaughter lawyers have significant expertise both in representing clients in gross negligence manslaughter cases and in advising companies and individuals in relation to investigations and prosecutions brought by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) and the Environment Agency (EA). As a law firm specialising in complex business crime and fraud, regulatory and general criminal litigation, we conduct litigation in the criminal courts every day. We apply our extensive experience in criminal litigation to achieve significant results for clients, be they companies or individuals, as well as acting in major investigations for individual witnesses.

Corker Binning also assists and advises individuals who find themselves involved in a coroner’s inquest or public inquiry. We have experience of representing families of the bereaved as well as individuals who are summonsed to give evidence at an inquest into the death of another. We advise witnesses throughout public inquiries which, by their very nature, are likely to attract a lot of media attention and can be lengthy and complex, to ensure that their interests are protected.

Our health and safety and corporate manslaughter lawyers have recently advised on the following matters:

• Acting for a client in relation to a recent air show disaster.
• Acting for a high-profile figure in relation to the Hillsborough disaster.
• Acting for a nursing home prosecuted for corporate manslaughter.
• Acting for a director of a care home charged with health & safety offences & perverting the course of justice.
• The successful defence of two UK companies charged with offences under the Transfrontier Shipment of Waste Regulations relating to the export of contaminated waste paper. The EA was forced to drop the case before trial and a costs order was made in favour of our clients.
• Acted for a scrapyard company and one of its directors were cleared of manslaughter following the death of a worker and the injury of others in an explosion caused by employees cutting up gas cylinders.