Incriminating corporations for negligently causing human rights violations within their global supply chains

This book explores how criminal law can serve as a tool to protect human rights in global business operations. The discussion is set against the backdrop of growing international calls to strengthen corporate accountability and the expanding role of national criminal law in safeguarding human rights, shaped by international human rights jurisprudence that increasingly urges states to criminalize and prosecute serious violations. Focusing on Switzerland and Poland, the book examines whether and how companies can be held criminally liable for human rights violations—particularly unintentional violations of the right to life—committed within their global supply chains. Through a comparative analysis of Article 102 of the Swiss Criminal Code and Poland’s Act on the liability of collective entities, it contrasts leading Swiss and Polish academic perspectives and demonstrates how these shape the prospects of prosecuting companies for human rights violations. The author advocates for an interpretation of corporate criminal liability that enhances prevention, strengthens access to justice, and aligns domestic legal systems with the global pursuit of responsible business conduct.