Business leaders want tougher sentences and jail time for larger scale insider trading where the benefit is at least $1,000,000 and are divided about jail time as a punishment for smaller scale insider trading where the benefit is under $100,000. With respect to the Martha Stewart case specifically, business leaders want to see Stewart treated fairly, punished just as anyone who committed the same crime would be. They have many ideas as to what the punishment would be if they were judge and jury, including different combinations of jail time, home arrest, community service, and fines. Notably, 48% would sentence Stewart to at least some jail time while 44% would have Stewart be precluded from jail altogether.

These are the principal findings from this week’s web survey, conducted on behalf of the National Post under sponsorship of BDO Dunwoody and the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.

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