Overview: Embedded within a general consultation is a proposal to amend the Sentencing Council’s Guidelines with regard to VLOs.
Given the direct impact this is likely to have on our membership the HSLA has organised this webinar to outline the proposal and discuss the implications so that a response reflecting our views can be submitted
When: 6th November 2024 at 5.30-6:45
Webinar Chair
Nina Dhillon
Nina leads the London crime and regulatory team and is instructed on several of the most prominent health and safety cases in the South East including the East London tower crane collapse, Grenfell and the incident at Brixton Academy.
She has amassed significant expertise over the last 20 years in defending companies, directors and senior managers facing investigation for the most serious breaches of their regulatory duties.
Nina is an elected committee member of the Health and Safety Lawyers Association and leads the thought leadership sub-committee.
Ranked in Chambers and Legal 500, clients have commented that she is “tenacious” and that “she is very strong in her approach with cases and pragmatic in her advice. Her honesty and
knowledge of the processes involved has helped us enormously.”
Panel
Gordon Menzies
Gordon was called to the Bar in 1998 and has been acting in health and safety cases since his involvement in the Inquest following the Potters Bar rail disaster in 2002. He both defends and prosecutes and has represented companies in all sectors of industry. He has particular experience of cases in the transport, chemical and justice sectors.
He was involved in the Rebelo litigation which is now one of the leading cases on gross negligence manslaughter. He has been described in Chambers UK as ‘calm, measured and a master tactician’.
Harry Vann
Harry acts for companies and individuals in the most serious health & safety prosecutions, including corporate and gross negligence manslaughter. He has acted for all sizes of business, from sole traders to Plcs, encompassing all aspects of construction, transport management, work at height, electrical installation, swimming pool management, farming, caravan sites, asbestos, care homes, rail signalling, shipping and commercial banking.
His most significant cases of this year have included securing a reduction in fine from £1.2m to £300k for a VLO in respect of a FLT vs ankle incident; securing a non-causative sentence in respect of the death of a patron at a public house; and co-defending for the company with John Cooper KC for the individual, securing an SSO for a director whose breach contributed to the death of a young employee.
He was Chambers & Partners Health & Safety Junior of the Year in 2021 and was appointed Recorder on the North Eastern Circuit in 2022.
He lives in York with a Judge and their daughter.
Mark Davies
Mark was called to the Bar in 2017 and has been acting for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government in its response to the fire at Grenfell Tower since June 2017. He has also been closely involved in the COVID inquiry.
In addition to his public inquiry practice, Mark prosecutes and defends across a range of regulatory regimes, with a particular focus on health and safety. His health and safety work extends across both the light and heavy industry sectors with a particular emphasis on transport issues, including road and railway regulation. He was described in the Legal 500 as “confident in his advocacy … a skilful negotiator … very approachable and also easily relatable.”
Ruth Pope
Ruth Pope is a lawyer and policy adviser to the Sentencing Council. Her role includes running an annual consultation on amendments to existing sentencing guidelines.
She is a solicitor who has previously worked as a legal adviser in magistrates’ courts and as a lawyer in the Criminal Appeal Office.
PDF Resource: Miscellaneous amendments to sentencing guidelines 2024 – Consultation (sentencingcouncil.org.uk)
Bookings
Bookings are closed for this event.
