3PB Barrister Sunyana Sharma secures record fine for the Maritime Coastguard Agency v Sodexo on health and safety grounds
29th May 2018
On 18 May 2018 Sunyana Sharma secured the largest financial penalty for the Maritime Coastguard Agency ('MCA') against Sodexo Ltd in the sum of £300,000.
The Defendant Company pleaded guilty for failing to operate a passenger vessel, 'Symphony' on the River Thames, with a valid Domestic Ship Safety Management Certificate for a period of 6 weeks. During this period, it had carried approximately 10,000 passengers.
For an offence which was contrary to Regulations 6 and 10 of the Merchant Shipping (Domestic Passenger Ships)(Safety Management Code) Regulations 2001, the Chief Magistrate of Westminster Magistrates' Court, Senior District Judge Emma Arbuthnot also awarded £4,800 in costs and £170 victim surcharge.