Open Access Te Herenga Waka-Victoria University of Wellington
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When the company causes harm: Effective corporate sentencing in a justice system based on individual fault

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thesis
posted on 2021-11-15, 01:27 authored by Graham, Henry

The imposition of corporate liability is problematic in terms of both conviction and sentencing. Once convicted, it is still difficult to effectively sanction a corporation, as the artificial nature of the entity means it cannot be imprisoned. This problem is illustrated by the Pike River disaster and the relevant corporation’s conviction for nine health and safety offences. In that case, the defendant was insolvent, so no effective financial penalty could be imposed. This paper will consider the range of sanctions that could be used to effectively punish a guilty corporate defendant. A starting point for corporate sentencing would be the imposition of a financial penalty (both reparation orders and fines). However, if the company is insolvent, this may be ineffective. There are several mechanisms which could be used to overcome the issue of insolvency, but the court should also consider various non-financial penalties and the imposition of sanctions against individuals. The court may be able to adequately punish a company if a variety of penalties is used.

History

Copyright Date

2014-01-01

Date of Award

2014-01-01

Publisher

Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington

Rights License

Author Retains Copyright

Degree Grantor

Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington

Degree Name

LL.B. (Honours)

ANZSRC Type Of Activity code

970118 Expanding Knowledge in Law and Legal Studies

Victoria University of Wellington Item Type

Research Paper or Project

Language

en_NZ

Victoria University of Wellington School

School of Law

Advisors

Tinsley, Yvette