Visiting the Concept of Corporate Criminal Liability

ABSTRACTCompany law forms one of the major areas of law today in Nigeria. The basis of this research work is to focus on the concept of criminal liability of corporations in Nigeria. In this regard, it basically looks at the corporation as a legal personality or as a person who can be liable for a crime just like a natural person. And therefore it looks at the various crimes that can be committed by a company under Nigerian law and the corresponding penalties for such an offence or offences.   Chapter one focus on the nature of corporate personality which refers to the fact that a company can sue and be sued in its own name, the definition of a company and how a corporation is established.    Chapter two focus on mental element in crime,(actus reus and mens rea) its effect on persons and its imputation on a company and criminal liability and the various statutes covering it.    Chapter three covers the circumstances and the cases where corporation is guilty of offences and also the principle of vicarious liability, where the master is made liable for the acts of his servant. In conclusion, this research work will also focus on the provisions of the criminal codes and statutes on the criminal liability of corporations and its employees.TABLE OF CONTENTSTITLE PAGE…………….………………………………...………………………..iCERTIFICATIONiiDEDICATIONiiiACKNOWLEDGEMENTivTABLE OF STATUTESviABBREVIATIONSviiLIST OF CASESviiiTABLE OF CONTENTSxiABSTRACTxiii
CHAPTER ONE11.1INTRODUCTION11.2THE NATURE OF CORPORATE LEGAL PERSONALITY52.3CREATION OF CORPORATIONS5
CHAPTER TWO9MENTAL ELEMENT IN CRIME92.1ACTUS REUS92.2MENS REA112.2.1INTENTION112.2.2 RECKLESSNESS122.2.3 NEGLIGENCE132.2.4 ACCIDENT132.2.5 UNCONSCIOUSNESS132.3 CORPORATE CRIMINAL LIABILITY142.3 CRIMINAL LIABILITY OF CORPORATIONS UNDER     STATUTES19
CHAPTER THREE233.0BODIES THROUGH WHICH CORPORATIONS CAN BE HELD CRIMINALLY LIABLE233.1ACTS OF SHAREHOLDERS233.2ACTS OF DIRECTORS253.3ACTS OF AGENTS293.4VICARIOUS LIABILITY32
CHAPTER FOUR354.1CONCLUSION354.2RECOMMENDATION36BIBLIOGRAPHY38DICTIONARIES39