England and Wales: corporate criminal liability - options for reform published by Law Commission

The Law Commission for England and Wales has published a paper setting out options for reform in respect of the criminal liabliity of companies. The paper does not make recommendations but provides, instead, ten potential reforms.  These reforms include

1. permitting conduct to be attributed to a company if a member of its senior management engaged in, consented to, or connived in the offence;

2. introducing an offence of failure to prevent fraud by an employee or agent; and

3. introducing a reporting requirement requiring large corporations to report on anti-fraud procedures. Some potential reforms have been ruled out, including adopting models of attribution based on corporate culture or the principle of respondeat superior. 

For further information:

• Press release

• Full options paper

• Summary of options paper