EligibilityU.K.
1. No person is eligible for appointment as auditor of an open-ended investment company unless he is [F1eligible for appointment as a statutory auditor under Part 42 of the Companies Act 2006].U.K.
Textual Amendments
F1Words in Sch. 5 para. 1 substituted (6.4.2008) by The Companies Act 2006 (Consequential Amendments etc) Order 2008 (S.I. 2008/948), art. 2(2), Sch. 1 para. 28(2) (with arts. 6, 11, 12)
2.—(1) A person is ineligible for appointment as auditor of an open-ended investment company if he is—U.K.
(a)an officer or employee of the company; or
(b)a partner or employee of such a person, or a partnership of which such a person is a partner.
(2) For the purposes of sub-paragraph (1), an auditor of a company is not to be regarded as an officer or employee of the company.
[F2(3) A person is also ineligible for appointment if there exists between that person, or any associate of that person, and the company a connection of any such description as may be specified by regulations made by the Secretary of State under section 1214(4) of the Companies Act 2006.
(4) In sub-paragraph (3) “associate” has the same meaning as in Part 42 of that Act (see section 1260 of that Act).
(5) The power of the Secretary of State to make regulations under section 1214(4) of that Act for the purposes of subsection (1) of that section in relation to statutory auditors is exercisable, subject to the same conditions, for the purposes of sub-paragraph (3) above in relation to auditors of open-ended investment companies.]
Textual Amendments
F2Sch. 5 para. 2(3)-(5) substituted for Sch. 5 para. 2(3) (6.4.2008) by The Companies Act 2006 (Consequential Amendments etc) Order 2008 (S.I. 2008/948), art. 2(2), Sch. 1 para. 28(3) (with arts. 6, 11, 12)
3.—(1) No person is to act as auditor of a company if he is ineligible for appointment to the office.U.K.
(2) If during his term of office an auditor of a company becomes ineligible for appointment to the office, he must thereupon vacate office and give notice in writing to the company concerned that he has vacated it by reason of ineligibility.
(3) A person who acts as auditor of a company in contravention of sub-paragraph (1) or fails to give notice of vacating his office as required by sub-paragraph (2) is guilty of an offence and liable—
(a)on conviction on indictment, to a fine;
(b)on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum.
(4) In the case of continued contravention he is liable on a second or subsequent summary conviction (instead of the fine mentioned in sub-paragraph (3)(b)) to a fine not exceeding £100 in respect of each day on which the contravention is continued.
(5) In proceedings against a person for an offence under this paragraph it is a defence for him to show that he did not know and had no reason to believe that he was, or had become, ineligible for appointment.