Michael Meacher MP

The British seem to regard homicide when committed by a corporation as rather different from ordinary murder.   It’s true that companies don’t want or intend to kill people (unless of course they’re arms manufacturers), but how should we regard (a) bribing officials of a non-Western country to import a fuel additive known to cause brain damage to children? (b) secretly dumping in a Third World country waste oil residues with a toxicity to kill? and (c) paying out a $15m out of court settlement in a Third World country to avoid further action against its collaboration with that government in the execution of protestors challenging its oil depredations?   All 3 cases involved British companies. (more…)