Profile

Roy Thornley is a corporate risk consultant specialising in the field of individual and corporate manslaughter by criminal negligence.

His background in the subject is extensive. This developed as a result of his being the police senior investigating officer of the Lyme Bay canoe tragedy in 1993 that claimed the lives of four children. His decision to treat the incident as a crime, led to the first conviction in English legal history of a managing director and his company for unlawful killing by gross negligence. Awarded a travelling scholarship, he visited the USA to research case law into work-related deaths and investigative practices. He continued his research at university and in 2003 was awarded a Masters Degree in Philosophy in recognition of a programme of work entitled, "Corporate Manslaughter - A Reformulation of Criminal Law Policy".

His research into this complex area of the law has helped shape Government policy in reforming the law of involuntary manslaughter. His unique position of having the combination of operational experience and theoretical understanding, creates a substantial fund of knowledge that qualifies him to raise awareness in business and organisations, by giving an authoritative, practical and theoretical insight into this serious crime.

He is registered with the Police National Crime and Operations Faculty at Bramshill and with Business Link Wessex. He is a member of the Advisory Council at the Centre for Corporate Accountability.

Publications

1997. Death in the Workplace. In house publication for Dorset Police Scholarship Trust.

1998. When Profits Come First. In Police Review, The Police Publishing Company, October ed., at p. 20.

2003. Corporate Manslaughter - A Reformulation of Criminal Law Policy.

2004. Corporate Manslaughter - A management report from the business evolution series by Croner. Explaining what chief executives and directors need to do to put in health and safety on top of the business agenda, to ensure hazards in the workplace can be efficiently managed or eliminated. Published October 2004, see www.croner.co.uk

2005. Crash Barriers. In Chartered Secretary, published by the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators, March ed. at p. 11. See www.charteredsecretary.net

2005. Corporate Manslaughter - The Need for Corporate Strategic Management for publication by Wolters Kluwer (UK) Limited.

2005. Response to the Home Office - CORPORATE MANSLAUGHTER: The Government's Draft Bill for Reform.

2005. Submission to the House of Commons, Parliamentary Home Affairs & Work and Pensions Select Committees: CORPORATE MANSLAUGHTER: The Government's Draft Bill for Reform. http:/www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/cmselect/cmhaff/540/540we132.htm

2007.  Corporate Manslaughter  - Visual input and text for training DVD for Safety Media Limited UK. www.safetymedia.co.uk 

2008.  Introduction to: "Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007: A Guide", published by Croner. See www.croner.co.uk 

2008.  Introduction to: "Occupational Road Risk Management for Schools", for Fleetcheck  Ltd. www.fleetcheck.co.uk