The latest parliamentary answer records one corporate manslaughter prosecution case with a conviction in England and Wales in 2025, and none in 2026 as reported on 21 September. These provisional CPS manual records are separate from the earlier financial-year prosecution totals below.
Key statistics at a glance
| Statistic | Figure | Period and coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Cases with a corporate manslaughter conviction | 1 | 2025 England and Wales |
| Cases with a corporate manslaughter conviction | 0 | 2026, as reported 21 September England and Wales |
| Cases with a corporate manslaughter conviction | 2 | 2024 England and Wales |
| Prosecutions / convictions in financial-year disclosure | 13 / 10Separate historical series; do not combine with calendar-year cases. | 2022/23–2024/25 England and Wales |
CPS data for England and Wales. Calendar-year conviction cases come from the parliamentary answer of 21 September 2026; 2026 is a partial year. Separate financial-year and historical disclosures overlap and must not be combined.
Recent corporate manslaughter prosecutions
The answer published on 21 September 2026 records cases with a conviction as follows: three in 2022, three in 2023, two in 2024, one in 2025 and zero in 2026 to the reporting date. These are provisional manual records, not official criminal justice statistics; the partial 2026 count is not a full-year result.
An earlier answer, published on 4 August 2025, reported six prosecutions and six convictions in 2022/23, four and two in 2023/24, and three and two in 2024/25: 13 prosecutions and 10 convictions overall, a calculated 76.9%. Its unsuccessful outcomes included no evidence offered after trial began and a case left to lie on file, rather than only jury acquittals. The disclosures have different reporting bases and must not be combined.
Corporate manslaughter prosecutions, 2011–2023
A separate CPS disclosure records 40 prosecutions, 29 guilty outcomes and 11 not-guilty outcomes during calendar years 2011–2023. The calculated guilty-outcome share is 72.5%.
These are the figures as published by the CPS in June 2024. The newer September 2026 answer reports three conviction cases in 2022, whereas the older disclosure recorded two guilty outcomes that year. The publications do not reconcile that difference, so the historical total is not an updated cumulative count.
Corporate manslaughter fine ranges
The Sentencing Council guideline sets the following category ranges before later adjustments, including credit for a guilty plea. They are not average fines or statutory caps.
| Annual turnover | Category A | Category B |
|---|---|---|
| More than £50m | £4.8m–£20m | £3m–£12.5m |
| £10m–£50m | £1.8m–£7.5m | £1.2m–£5m |
| £2m–£10m | £540,000–£2.8m | £350,000–£2m |
| Up to £2m | £270,000–£800,000 | £180,000–£540,000 |
Category A reflects greater harm or culpability within an already very serious offence. Courts may move outside the ranges, particularly for very large organisations. An unlimited maximum is not the same as a typical sentence.
What counts as corporate manslaughter?
The offence concerns a death caused by the way an organisation manages or organises its activities, amounting to a gross breach of a relevant duty of care. Senior management’s role must be a substantial element of that breach. The Act took effect on 6 April 2008; the equivalent offence is called corporate homicide in Scotland. HSE’s explanation distinguishes the organisation’s liability from individual liability.
A remedial order requires failures to be corrected. A publicity order requires publication of the conviction. These are different orders. Individuals are not prosecuted under this corporate offence, but may face separate health and safety or gross negligence manslaughter charges. HSE’s guidance explains these routes.
What the prosecution figures measure
A prosecution completed in one year may concern a death several years earlier. Corporate manslaughter cases can involve members of the public as well as workers. The figures therefore describe the prosecution system’s caseload, rather than the number of deaths occurring in that year.
Workplace fatality statistics use a different population and geography. Establishing the proportion of deaths that lead to prosecution would require linked incident and case records.
Frequently asked questions
How many recent corporate manslaughter prosecutions were there?
The latest answer records one case with a conviction in England and Wales in 2025 and none in 2026 as reported on 21 September. A separate financial-year breakdown reported 13 prosecutions and 10 convictions across 2022/23–2024/25. These measures should not be combined.
Is £20 million the maximum corporate manslaughter fine?
No. The statutory maximum is unlimited. £20 million is the top of one guideline category range, and courts can move outside guideline ranges.
Are these UK-wide statistics?
No. The prosecution data cited here are CPS figures for England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate prosecution systems.
Using these statistics?
Please credit Online CPD Academy and link to this guide when using these statistics in an article, report or website.
Suggested citation: Online CPD Academy, Corporate Manslaughter Statistics UK: Prosecutions and Fines, updated 15 October 2026.
Sources
- Attorney General’s Office — Corporate manslaughter conviction cases, HL2486
- CPS — Prosecutions relating to Corporate Manslaughter
- Sentencing Council — Corporate manslaughter definitive guideline
- HSE — Corporate manslaughter frequently asked questions
- Attorney General’s Office — Corporate Manslaughter: Prosecutions, HL9671
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