Companies Act 1985

Valid from 01/12/2003

162CTreasury shares: voting and other rightsE+W+S

(1)This section applies to shares which are held by a company as treasury shares (“the treasury shares”).

(2)The company must not exercise any right in respect of the treasury shares, and any purported exercise of such a right is void.

(3)The rights to which subsection (2) applies include any right to attend or vote at meetings (including meetings under section 425).

(4)No dividend may be paid, and no other distribution (whether in cash or otherwise) of the company’s assets (including any distribution of assets to members on a winding up) may be made, to the company in respect of the treasury shares.

(5)Nothing in this section is to be taken as preventing—

(a)an allotment of shares as fully paid bonus shares in respect of the treasury shares, or

(b)the payment of any amount payable on the redemption of the treasury shares (if they are redeemable shares).

(6)Any shares allotted as fully paid bonus shares in respect of the treasury shares shall be treated for the purposes of this Act as if they were purchased by the company at the time they were allotted, in circumstances in which section 162A(1) applied.