Published on: 21 July 2008
The Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007 received Royal Assent on 26 July 2007. Most of the Act was implemented on 6 April 2008, with the exception of provisions which relate to the duty of care that a custody provider owes to a person who is detained.
Procedures for caring for some of society's most vulnerable or volatile people are highly complex. That is why it was made clear to Parliament when it passed this legislation that a period of three to five years would be needed for custody providers to prepare for its implementation.
This report discusses the progress made by the various custody providers and what remains to be done. While implementing the Act provides a useful catalyst and driver, reducing deaths in custody is a core part of long term work by the government together with custody providers and this long term agenda is reflected in the report.