It was announced this month that no police officers are to be prosecuted over the fatal shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes, who was mistaken for a terrorist, at a South London Tube station in July. However, the Metropolitan Police as an organisation will now be charged with breaching health and safety at work legislation over the shooting. Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, employers must make sure that not only employees but the wider public who might be affected by their operations "are not exposed to risks to their health or safety".
This is not the first time the Met Police have been prosecuted under such law. In June 2003, two former Commissioners were taken to court by the Health and Safety Executive after an officer died and another was seriously injured when they fell through a roof when pursuing suspects.
