Michael Rawlinson

Criminal Regulatory

Michael has acted in a wide range of criminal regulatory matters relating to breaches of health & safety legislation and prosecutions under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, as well as food safety, fire safety, animal welfare and trademark/copyright legislation.

Michael routinely appears in inquests arising from deaths in the workplace that have a health and safety dimension to them. He also has experience of CQC regulatory prosecutions, and prosecutions under the Health & Social Care Act 2008 brought against residential and care homes in the healthcare field.

From 2007 onwards Michael was a member of the Attorney General’s Approved List of Prosecution Counsel, and undertook a variety of regulatory prosecutions on behalf of a various Government agencies including the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills, the Food Standards Agency, the Environment Agency/DEFRA, the Inland Revenue, HMRC, RCPO and the DWP.

Recent Cases:

R v RH

Successfully defended a farmer who used a telehandler to pick up a car and dump it in a road to defend his property. RH was cleared of dangerous driving and criminal damage.

HSE v SE Care Home

Currently representing a care home prosecuted under the HSWA following a serious injury to a care assistant sustained due to a faulty lift mechanism.

Hull City Council v PK & DK & BL Ltd.

Successfully defended a national jewellery business and two Directors who faced trademarking and consumer protection offences for selling non-hallmarked jewellery.

Inquest touching the death of PS

Represented a Supervisor, who was separately represented form the company, at a highly contentious inquest following the death of an employee crushed in a carpet rolling machine.

HSE v P&V Steel Ltd

Defended a Sheffield based multinational steel company prosecuted by HSE following catastrophic injuries sustained by a steel worker after a mechanism carrying a two-ton steel tube collapsed.