Article Writing Homework Help

Need help with my writing homework on Refer to assignment criteria. Write a 2000 word paper answering; It was not until the 1940s that English law tolerated the possibility of corporations committing all types of offences. For these, a much more limited doctrine was developed. Known variously as ‘direct’, ‘identification’ or ‘alter ego’ liability, it sought to overcome the objection that an unnatural person such as a company was incapable of forming an intention or being reckless. It opened up the possibility of corporations being liable for the whole range of mainstream offences, including fraud and manslaughter. The notion of identification was brought into play under which the wrongdoing of certain senior officers – natural persons – in the corporation was identified with the corporation itself – the unnatural person. Their acts and accompanying guilty minds, on this version of liability, were those of the company – they acted as the company and sometimes on behalf of the company. Thus, as a juristic person, a corporation itself was capable of committing almost any criminal offence, so long as a director or equivalent had authorized it.

It is not necessary actually to prosecute a director or officer in order to find the company itself liable. It should be sufficient that there is evidence against the director or officer.