Question

Corporate convictions are not uncommon. For example, the Tulip Corporation of New York was convicted for illegally storing lead contaminated materials without a permit. Penalties included a $100,000 fine and a $25,000 to Buffalo Niagara Riverkeepers.       

In another case, Mar-Cone Appliance Part Co. was convicted of purchasing and selling ozone depleting refrigerant gas, which was illegally smuggled into the United States in violation of the Clean Air Act. The sentence included a five-year probation for the business, a half-million-dollar criminal fine, and a four hundred-thousand-dollar payment to a nonprofit organization. The company distributed this illegal substance throughout the United States, which was an action condemned as undermining global environmental efforts to reduce ozone damage for personal gain.

As you can see from these two examples, both business were monetarily fined and placed on "business probation." Businesses do not make decisions, rather it is their directors and officers. Do you believe that fines are enough or should officers and directors always be subject to criminal sentences for these "businesses'" illegal practices?

(300 words in total) PLEASE DO NOT PLAGIARIZED, DO OWN, NO COPY AND PASTE

Answer 1

Yes this debate is taking place in the every corner of the world . Business houses always try to harm the environment for their petty gains and let the world towards and end. There are several cases regarding various environmental degradation. In most of the countaries the the most common punishment used for this purpose is fine and Monetary losses. But we should also know that these fine are not always sufficient for the damages caused . Most of the time we have seen that these fines do not act as a deterent in reducing these kind of malpractices. Now days various countries around the world are moving towards various other modes of punishment like the Economic Sanction and Social sanction. They includes not only heavy losses to the company but also the temporary closing down of firm , rehabilitation of victims as well as social pressure on firm by affecting their Goodwill. But we should also keep one thing mind that all these decisions are taken by the director and officers. There should strict statutory provisions regarding criminal punishment which acts as a deterent towards all these crimes. I don't support criminal punishment in all cases but according to the intensity of the crime punishment must be decided. Some kind of responsibility of the acts must be ensured towards protection of environment by creating statutory provisions under criminal sentences. The environment is the gift which does not belong to any one person . Nobody should use it for their personal gains. It is the responsibility of the government to ensure the provisions in the law that deter such kind of acts which has the environment. Also there should be transparent procedures .