1051
Fault elements other than negligence
53.—(1) If intention, knowledge or recklessness is a fault element in relation to a physical element of an
offence, that fault element must be attributed to a body corporate that expressly, tacitly or impliedly authorised or
permitted the commission of the offence.
(2) The means by which such an authorisation or permission may be established include—
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
proving that the body corporate’s board of directors intentionally, knowingly or recklessly carried out
the relevant conduct, or expressly, tacitly or impliedly authorised or permitted the commission of the
offence; or
proving that a high managerial agent of the body corporate intentionally, knowingly or recklessly
engaged in the relevant conduct, or expressly, tacitly or impliedly authorised or permitted the
commission of the offence; or
proving that a corporate culture existed within the body corporate that directed, encouraged, tolerated
or led to non compliance with the relevant provision; or
proving that the body corporate failed to create and maintain a corporate culture that required
compliance with the relevant provision.
(3) Sub-section (2)(b) does not apply if the body corporate proves that it exercised due diligence to prevent
the conduct, or the authorisation or permission.
(4) Factors relevant to the application of sub-section (2)(c) or (d) include—
(a)
(b)
whether authority to commit an offence of the same or a similar character had been given by a high
managerial agent of the body corporate; and
whether the employee, agent or officer of the body corporate who committed the offence believed
on reasonable grounds, or entertained a reasonable expectation, that a high managerial agent of the
body corporate would have authorised or permitted the commission of the offence.
(5) If recklessness is not a fault element in relation to a physical element of an offence, sub-section (2) does not
enable the fault element to be proved by proving that the board of directors, or a high managerial agent, of the body
corporate recklessly engaged in the conduct or recklessly authorised or permitted the commission of the offence.
(6)
In this section—
“board of directors” means the body (by whatever name called) exercising the executive authority of the
body corporate.
“corporate culture” means an attitude, policy, rule, course of conduct or practice existing within the body
corporate generally or in the part of the body corporate in which the relevant activities takes place.
“high managerial agent” means an employee, agent or officer of the body corporate with duties of such
responsibility that his or her conduct may fairly be assumed to represent the body corporate’s
policy.
Negligence
54.—(1) The test of negligence for a body corporate is that set out in section 22.
(2) If—
(a)
(b)
negligence is a fault element in relation to a physical element of an offence; and
no individual employee, agent or officer of the body corporate has that fault element—
that fault element may exist on the part of the body corporate if the body corporate’s conduct is
negligent when viewed as a whole (that is, by aggregating the conduct of any number of its employees,
agents or officers).
(3)
Negligence may be evidenced by the fact that the prohibited conduct was substantially attributable to—
(a)
inadequate corporate management, control or supervision of the conduct of one or more of its
employees, agents or officers; or