33 Prohibition on trading under misleading name.E+W+S
(1)A person who is not a public company is guilty of an offence if he carries on any trade, profession or business under a name which includes, as its last part, the words “public limited company” or their equivalent in Welsh (“cwmni cyfyngedig cyhoeddus”) [F1; and a community interest company which is not a public company is guilty of an offence if it does so under a name which includes, as its last part, the words “cwmni buddiant cymunedol cyhoeddus cyfyngedig”.] .
(2)A public company is guilty of an offence if, in circumstances in which the fact that it is a public company is likely to be material to any person, it uses a name which may reasonably be expected to give the impression that it is a private company.
(3)A person guilty of an offence under subsection (1) or (2) and, if that person is a company, any officer of the company who is in default, is liable to a fine and, for continued contravention, to a daily default fine.
Textual Amendments
F1Words in s. 33(1) inserted (1.7.2005) by Companies (Audit, Investigations and Community Enterprise) Act 2004 (c. 27), ss. 33, 65, Sch. 6 para. 5; S.I. 2004/3322, art. 2(3), Sch. 3 (subject to arts. 3-13)