R. v. Adomako is a landmark case in the United Kingdom that set out the legal test for gross negligence manslaughter. In this case, an anesthetist, Mr. Adomako, was charged with manslaughter after a patient died on the operating table due to his failure to notice and respond to a disconnected breathing tube.
The court held that the correct test for gross negligence manslaughter was whether the defendant’s conduct amounted to a “gross breach of duty of care” that was “so bad in all the circumstances as to amount to a criminal act or omission.” The court emphasized that the breach of duty had to be so serious as to go beyond mere negligence and reach a level of “culpability” that warranted criminal liability.
The court also held that in order for the defendant to be convicted of gross negligence manslaughter, the breach of duty had to be the “cause” of the victim’s death, meaning that it had to be a significant and operative cause of the death.
In the case of Mr. Adomako, the court found that his failure to notice and respond to the disconnected breathing tube amounted to a gross breach of duty of care that was so serious as to warrant criminal liability. The court also found that this breach of duty was a significant and operative cause of the victim’s death. Mr. Adomako was convicted of gross negligence manslaughter and sentenced to seven years in prison.
This case is significant because it established the legal test for gross negligence manslaughter in the UK, which is still applied today. It emphasizes the importance of a high standard of care in situations where human life is at stake, and the potential consequences of failing to meet this standard.