At Woolfe & Co Solicitors, our criminal defence lawyers defend companies and senior individuals investigated or charged with corporate manslaughter under the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007. When HSE or the police investigate a workplace death, you need specialist solicitors who understand both the law and the pressures facing your business.
We act for employers, directors, health and safety officers, and organisations across England and Wales. We give the same forensic attention to corporate defendants that we give to individuals facing the most serious criminal allegations, including manslaughter charges and murder charges.
Corporate manslaughter is a criminal offence under the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007. It arises where an organisation causes a person's death through a gross breach of a duty of care, and the way its senior management manages the organisation is a substantial element of that breach.
The law replaced the old and flawed doctrine of corporate identity, which made it very difficult to convict a company. In our experience as criminal defence lawyers, the modern offence focuses on systemic failures rather than the acts of a single employee.
For a conviction, the prosecution must prove all four of the following elements to the criminal standard. Our solicitors test each one rigorously on your behalf.
Corporate manslaughter lawyers must show how a nominal failure in policy or supervision actually translated into a gross breach. This is where detailed, early investigation by an experienced legal team can make a real difference.
If you have received notice of an investigation, read our guide on defending manslaughter allegations or speak to our team directly.
Data from the HSE shows that hundreds of people are killed at work in Great Britain every year. The offence applies to a wide range of bodies.
Even if the organisation escapes a corporate manslaughter charge, senior individuals may face gross negligence manslaughter or health and safety offences. Act early to protect every level of the business.
The Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007 is designed to hold organisations accountable, not just the employees who were present when the death occurred. We explain to every client exactly where the law applies and where it does not.
The corporate manslaughter offence itself attaches to the organisation rather than to individuals. However, directors and senior managers can face separate criminal liability.
If you are a director or a senior figure, our lawyers protect both your company and your personal position. See how we approach regulatory defence in our investigations and prosecutions work.
| Consequence | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Fine | An unlimited fine, set by the court with reference to the organisation's turnover and financial position. |
| Remedial order | A court order requiring the organisation to fix the failures identified by the prosecution. |
| Reputational harm | The commercial impact of a conviction, including loss of contracts, tenders and insurance cover. |
| Director liability | Personal prosecution, disqualification or custodial sentence for senior individuals. |
The single most important decision you can make is to instruct a specialist solicitor at the earliest possible moment. We have advised companies where the regulator arrived within hours of an incident, and the evidence handling at that stage shaped the entire case.
Immediately place the business on lockdown. Preserve all documents, emails, CCTV and safety records. Make clear to staff that they should not discuss the matter or delete anything.
Never make a statement or agree to an interview alone. Solicitors protect legal professional privilege and handle every communication so the company does not weaken its position.
These statutory notices require you to produce information and answer questions. A solicitor will advise you on your obligations and manage disclosure carefully to protect the defence.
If individuals are interviewed, they are entitled to free legal advice at a police station. We attend and advise at every police station across England and Wales.
Corporate manslaughter is tried in the Crown Court, where the stakes for your business could not be higher. Experienced advocacy and trial strategy are essential.
Acting early protects your company, your directors and your reputation. Our lawyers provide clear, practical advice from the very first call.
Contact Our TeamIn our years of defending serious criminal cases, we have learned that the strongest results come from a fast, forensic and evidence-led approach. We build each defence on the specific facts of your case and challenge the prosecution at every assessment.
We test whether a duty of care existed at all and whether it applied to the circumstances of the death. Not every relationship to a deceased person gives rise to the kind of duty the Act requires.
A conviction needs a gross breach that falls far below what was reasonably expected, not just a minor lapse. We use expert health and safety evidence to argue the conduct was below, but not grossly below, the required standard.
The prosecution must show that senior management's failure was a substantial element of the breach. We scrutinise who actually managed the activity and whether decisions were taken at the level the Act requires.
We examine whether the alleged breach really caused or contributed to the death. Where other factors caused the fatality, the prosecution case can fail at this stage.
Woolfe & Co Solicitors has decades of combined experience defending the most serious criminal allegations. We apply the same rigorous standards to regulatory and corporate offences, giving companies and their directors the strongest possible defence. Meet the team of criminal defence lawyers behind our work.
Legal aid is not generally available to companies, which means corporate manslaughter defence is privately funded. We provide clear fee guidance and staged estimates so that directors know the expected cost before any work begins.
The cost of defending a corporate manslaughter investigation depends on the complexity of the evidence, the number of documents and witnesses, whether expert reports are needed, and whether the matter reaches a Crown Court trial.
For directors and individuals, some free legal advice may be available at a police station interview. Our guide to free legal aid for police station representation explains how this works.
A corporate manslaughter investigation rarely happens in isolation. Regulators and prosecutors frequently look more widely at corporate conduct, which is why companies benefit from a team that handles the full range of serious business crime.
Alongside or instead of corporate manslaughter, we defend the full range of HSWA 1974 charges.
Where an investigation touches tax or financial conduct, our fraud solicitors provide specialist support.
Where assets are at risk, we protect your position. See how we handle Unexplained Wealth Orders.
Straight answers from our criminal defence solicitors to the questions companies and directors ask us most often.
Corporate manslaughter is an offence under the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007. It arises where an organisation causes a person's death through a gross breach of a duty of care, and the way senior management runs the organisation is a substantial element of that breach. Our solicitors defend companies accused of this offence across England and Wales.
The offence applies to companies, partnerships, police forces, government departments and many other bodies carrying on business in England and Wales. The focus is on holding the organisation accountable. Individual directors and senior managers can still face gross negligence manslaughter and health and safety offences.
There is no maximum fine, so the court can impose a fine that reflects the size and turnover of the organisation. The court may also make a remedial order requiring the company to fix the failures identified. Strong mitigation can make a significant difference to the outcome.
The corporate manslaughter offence is aimed at the organisation rather than individuals. However, a director or senior manager can be prosecuted for gross negligence manslaughter, health and safety offences, or breaches of directors' duties, which can carry custodial sentences. Personal legal advice is essential from the start.
Instruct specialist corporate manslaughter solicitors before making any statement or responding to a notice. Put the business on a controlled footing, preserve evidence and documents, and ensure staff do not discuss the matter without advice. Solicitors will manage every communication with the regulator.
Yes. Early action allows solicitors to challenge whether a duty of care existed, whether the failure was genuinely gross, the role of senior management, and causation. Where the case proceeds, detailed mitigation can substantially reduce the size of any fine and protect the future of the business.
Whether you represent a company or you are an individual facing the consequences of a workplace death, our criminal defence team is ready to help. We respond immediately, keep your confidential position protected, and work tirelessly to achieve the best possible outcome for your business and your people.
We attend police stations and advise companies around the clock.
Decades of combined experience defending the most serious allegations.
Absolute discretion for companies protecting their directors and reputation.
Find out more about our broader criminal and corporate defence services, including criminal defence solicitors, fees and legal aid, and serious fraud solicitors.