Companies Act 1985

5 Procedure for objecting to alteration. E+W+S

(1) Where a company’s memorandum has been altered by special resolution under section 4, application may be made to the court for the alteration to be cancelled.

(2) Such an application may be made—

(a) by the holders of not less in the aggregate than 15 per cent. in nominal value of the company’s issued share capital or any class of it or, if the company is not limited by shares, not less than 15 per cent. of the company’s members; or

(b) by the holders of not less than 15 per cent. of the company’s debentures entitling the holders to object to an alteration of its objects;

but an application shall not be made by any person who has consented to or voted in favour of the alteration.

(3) The application must be made within 21 days after the date on which the resolution altering the company’s objects was passed, and may be made on behalf of the persons entitled to make the application by such one or more of their number as they may appoint in writing for the purpose.

(4) The court may on such an application make an order confirming the alteration either wholly or in part and on such terms and conditions as it thinks fit, and may—

(a) if it thinks fit, adjourn the proceedings in order that an arrangement may be made to its satisfaction for the purchase of the interests of dissentient members, and

(b) give such directions and make such orders as it thinks expedient for facilitating or carrying into effect any such arrangement.

(5) The court’s order may (if the court thinks fit) provide for the purchase by the company of the shares of any members of the company, and for the reduction accordingly of its capital, and may make such alterations in the company’s memorandum and articles as may be required in consequence of that provision.

(6) If the court’s order requires the company not to make any, or any specified, alteration in its memorandum or articles, the company does not then have power without the leave of the court to make any such alteration in breach of that requirement.

(7) An alteration in the memorandum or articles of a company made by virtue of an order under this section, other than one made by resolution of the company, is of the same effect as if duly made by resolution; and this Act applies accordingly to the memorandum or articles as so altered.

[F1 (7A) For the purposes of subsection (2)(a), any of the company’s issued share capital held as treasury shares must be disregarded.]

(8) The debentures entitling the holders to object to an alteration of a company’s objects are any debentures secured by a floating charge which were issued or first issued before 1st December 1947 or form part of the same series as any debentures so issued; and a special resolution altering a company’s objects requires the same notice to the holders of any such debentures as to members of the company.

In the absence of provisions regulating the giving of notice to any such debenture holders, the provisions of the company’s articles regulating the giving of notice to members apply.

Textual Amendments

F1 S. 5(7A) inserted (1.12.2003) by The Companies (Acquisition of Own Shares)(Treasury Shares) Regulations 2003 (S.I. 2003/1116), reg. 4,{ Sch. para. 1}