Law change needed

Cave Creek. Pike River. CTV Building. Disasters resulting in massive loss of life and injuries and no one held accountable for these avoidable disasters. Why? Firstly, the legal bar to hold relevant persons accountable is currently set too high and is unnecessarily complex. Secondly, where there is shared accountability there is a reluctance to allocate accountability because of the difficulty of allocating to each person.

The solution. Create a new crime category where it would be easier to hold all relevant persons accountable in the event of an avoidable disaster. That crime category should allow the charging of all relevant persons for their gross negligence or recklessness where their failing contributed directly towards an avoidable

disaster. Continuing with the current law and a ‘‘she’ll be right’’ attitude will result in more avoidable disasters in the future. Warren Taylor Johnsonville