Blog posts tagged with 'industrial manslaughter'

The NSW Government recently announced that it will introduce a bill to create the offence of industrial manslaughter, which allows for a maximum penalty of 25 years jail for an individual or $20 million in fines for a body corporate. NSW is the last state (barring Tasmania) without industrial manslaughter laws, which allow for a business or individual to be held responsible for the death of a person due to gross negligence in the workplace.

The introduction of industrial manslaughter laws in every mainland jurisdiction, together with recent proposed changes to laws in some states, has resulted in a renewed focus on the laws by duty holders, according to an international law firm. While the laws do not introduce any new duties, it does mean the stakes are significantly higher for companies and individual officers when it comes to dealing with the aftermath of an incident resulting in a death, said Sarah Connolly, a solicitor at Herbert Smith Freehills.