Corporations, Crime and Accountability (Theories of Institutional Design)

This book explains why accountability for corporate crime is rarely imposed under the present law, and proposes solutions that would help to extend responsibility to a wide range of actors. The authors develop an Accountability Model under which the courts and corporations work together by having the law harness the internal disciplinary systems of organizations. In this way accountability would be achieved across a much broader front than would otherwise be possible. "In modern society corporate activities frequently result in serious harm, whether to the environment, to victims of industrial accidents or to persons who suffer loss from fraudulent operations. The BCCI global money laundering operation, the Union Carbide Bhopal disaster and the Zeebrugge ferry disaster are all examples of corporate crimes widely perceived as serious and punishable. But who should be responsible for corporate crime? Corporations rather than individual personnel are typically the prime target of prosecution, and if individuals are prosecuted it is often only because they have been scapegoated." "This book explains why accountability is rarely imposed under the present law and proposes solutions which would help to extend responsibility to a wide range of actors. The authors develop an Accountability Model which seeks to impose responsibility on all who are responsible for corporate crime. Under this Model, the courts and corporations would work together by having the law harness the internal disciplinary systems of organisations. In this way, accountability would be achieved across a much broader front than would otherwise be possible. The book argues that all who are responsible should be held responsible and that this ideal is attainable only if legal systems recognise corporate systems of justice and fully utilise their power." "At a time when the issue of corporate governance is high on the global political agenda, this book will be of great interest to academic and professional readers in criminology, law business studies, public policy and within corporations themselves."--Jacket In modern society corporate activities frequently result in serious harm, whether to the environment, to victims of industrial accidents, or to persons who suffer loss from fraudulent operations. In such cases who should be held responsible, the corporation or individual employees? This book explains why accountability is rarely imposed under the present law, and proposes solutions which would help to extend responsibility to a wide range of actors. The authors develop an Accountability Model under which the courts and corporations work together to achieve accountability across a broad front

this Book Asks Why Corporations Are Rarely Held Accountable For Corporate Crime And Proposes Solutions To The Problem.