Health and safety fines set to rise

摘要

Courts in England and Wales will have to follow a new regime when sentencing those convicted of health and safety offences on or after 1 February 2016. The change means a likely rise in the level of fines issued, particularly for very large organisations as this is the first time courts have been required to follow uniform safety sentencing principles. A recent Court of Appeal case looking at an equivalent guideline for the environment suggests a robust approach to fines will be taken, with an emphasis on higher fines, relative to the breach. (Even if cases are successfully defended it is no longer possible to get defendant's costs paid back.)