The court considered whether the reverse burden of proof in a statute creating offences is compatible with the presumption of innocence enshrined in Article 6(2) of the ECHR. The judge had ruled against a submission that section 40 was not compatible with the presumption of innocence in article 6(1) unless the section was read down … Continue reading Davies v Health and Safety Executive: CACD 18 Dec 2002
The defendant said that section 40 of the 1974 Act was not compatible with the presumption of innocence in Article 6(2) of the Convention, unless the section was read down to impose only an evidential burden on the defendant. Held: The Act was regulatory and intended to protect health and safety of workers and other. … Continue reading Regina v Davies: CACD 2003
Liable Operator was the person noified The company, a joint venture enterprise, appealed against a refusal to stay prosecutions for various infringements when a fuel depot they were said to control (the Buncefield oil terminal) exploded. The company denied that they were the operator as required within the law. Held: The operator was the person … Continue reading Hertfordshire Oil Storage Ltd v Regina: CACD 16 Mar 2010
Appeal with the leave of the single judge against the sentence of a fine in the total sum of pounds 400,000 imposed by HHJ Rivlin QC, the Recorder of Westminster, for two offences charged under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. One of the questions which has arisen in the appeal is whether and … Continue reading New Look Retailers Ltd v London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority: CACD 16 Jun 2010
The plaintiff was injured when working for the defendants spraying glaze onto jars. A small foreign body was blown into her eye. She said that no eye protection had been suuplied as required by the regulations. Held: The plaintiff’s appeal succeeded: ‘this was an operation which, when one looks at it in the round, carried … Continue reading Gerrard v Staffordshire Potteries Ltd: CA 2 Nov 1994
Citations: [1997] 3 All ER 78, [1997] 2 Cr App R 40, [1997] Crim LR 512, [1997] ICR 382, [1997] IRLR 189, [1996] EWCA Crim 1768 Statutes: Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 2(1) Jurisdiction: England and Wales Crime, Health and Safety Updated: 08 October 2022; Ref: scu.149432
Lord Cairns said: ‘A reason for the dismissal of an employee is a set of facts known to the employer, or it may be of beliefs held by him, which cause him to dismiss the employee. If at the time of his dismissal the employer gives a reason for it, that is no doubt evidence, … Continue reading Abernethy v Mott Hay and Anderson: CA 1974
The defendant company had been fined when a train was derauled as a result of the company’s failure properly to maintain rail track. It appealed the fine of andpound;400,000. Held: Fines should properly be increased where the failure arose in the course of provision of a public service. However here had been no significant injury … Continue reading Regina v Jarvis Facilities Ltd: CACD 26 May 2005
A dwellinghouse had exploded, killing the occupants. The defendant was to be tried for alleged breaches of the 1974 Act in the gas supoplies to the house. The appellant complained that a jury trial would be an infringement of its rights, since a jury asked to sit for three to six months would be prejudiced … Continue reading Transco Plc v Her Majesty’s Advocates: HCJ 16 Sep 2004
Challenge to improvement notice. Judges: Ognall J Citations: [2000] IRLR 243, [1999] EWHC Admin 376 Links: Bailii Statutes: Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 21, Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations of 1992 Jurisdiction: England and Wales Health and Safety Updated: 28 May 2022; Ref: scu.139640
The defendant complained that section 40 imposed a burden of proof upon him which infringed the presumption of innocence and his right to a fair trial. The trial judge held that the burden imposed a legal burden rather than an evidential one. Held: The Act could not be read down so as to impose only … Continue reading Davies v Health and Safety Executive: CA 18 Dec 2002
British Steel employed two sub-contractors to work in moving a steel tower under their supervision. One platform fell on one of the sub-contractors, killing him. British Steel claimed they had delegated their responsibilities under the Act, and were not criminally liable. Held: A corporate employer cannot evade the strict liability imposed by the legislation by … Continue reading Regina v British Steel Plc: CACD 31 Dec 1994
The company appealed against its conviction for failing so far as reasonably practicable to ensure the health and safety of its employees. It said that the judge should have acceeded to a submission of no case to answer. Fulford LJ, Foskett J, Neil Ford QC [2014] EWCA Crim 1522 Bailii Health and Safety at Work, … Continue reading Polyflor Ltd v Health and Safety Executive: CACD 18 Jul 2014
The patient saw his doctor and complained about a lump under his arm. The doctor failed to diagnose cancer. It was nine months before treatment was begun. The claimant sought damages for the reduction in his prospects of disease-free survival for ten years from 42%, when he first consulted the doctor to 25%. The House … Continue reading Gregg v Scott: HL 27 Jan 2005
Japanese Knotweed escape is nuisance The defendant appealed against an order as to its liability in private nuisance for the escape of Japanese Knotweed from its land onto the land of the claimant neighbours. No physical damage to properties had yet been shown, but the reduction in value which had occurred. Held: The decision of … Continue reading Network Rail Infrastructure Ltd v Williams and Another: CA 3 Jul 2018
The defendant sought leave to appeal against its conviction for failing so to conduct its swimming pool as to avoid exposing visitors to risk to health or safety. A boy had gone to the pool with his father and brother. Notices said that a child of his age (under eight) should be accompanied by an … Continue reading Regina v Upper Bay Ltd: CACD 2 Mar 2010
The pursuer sought damages after her husband’s death from lung cancer. She said that the defenders were negligent in having continued to sell him cigarettes knowing that they would cause this. Held: The action failed. The plaintiff had not proved that the smoking of cigarettes was the cause of the lung cancer, and it was … Continue reading McTear v Imperial Tobacco Ltd: OHCS 31 May 2005
The victim died on a farm when his dumper truck overturned burying him in its load. Held: The prosecutor needed to establish a prima facie case that the results required by the Act had not been achieved. He need only establish that a risk of injury arose out of the state of affairs at the … Continue reading Chargot Limited (T/A Contract Services) and Others, Regina v: HL 10 Dec 2008
The Inspector had served an enforcement notice as to the condition of an oil rig. The operators fixed the issues identified and appealed. The court now considered whether on such an appeal it should consider only the situation at the time of the . .
The Commission challenged the compatibility of the NI law relating to banning nearly all abortions with Human Rights Law. It now challenged a decision that it did not have standing to bring the case.
Held: (Lady Hale, Lord Kerr and Lord Wilson . .
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