PART 13REMOVAL, RESIGNATION, ETC OF AUDITORS

Removal, resignation, etc of auditors43.

(1)

Sections 510 to 512 apply to LLPs, modified so that they read as follows—

“Removal of auditor510.

(1)

The members of an LLP may remove an auditor from office at any time.

(2)

Nothing in this section is to be taken as depriving the person removed of compensation or damages payable to him in respect of the termination—

(a)

of his appointment as auditor, or

(b)

of any appointment terminating with that as auditor.

F1(3)

An auditor may not be removed from office before the expiration of his term of office except—

(a)

by resolution under this section, or

(b)

in accordance with section 511A.

Notice of removal of auditor511.

(1)

No determination to remove an auditor before the expiration of his term of office may be made under section 510 unless the LLP has given 7 days' prior notice to any auditor whom it is proposed to remove

(2)

The auditor proposed to be removed may make with respect to the proposal representations in writing to the LLP (not exceeding a reasonable length) and request their notification to members of the LLP.

(3)

(3) The LLP must upon receipt send a copy of the representations to every member.

(4)

(4) Copies of the representations need not be sent out if, on the application either of the LLP or of any other person claiming to be aggrieved, the court is satisfied that the auditor is using the provisions of this section to secure needless publicity for defamatory matter. The court may order the LLP's costs (in Scotland, expenses) on the application to be paid in whole or in part by the auditor, notwithstanding that he is not a party to the application.

F2Public interest LLP: application to court to remove auditor from office511A.

(1)

This section applies only to a public interest LLP.

(2)

The competent authority may apply to the court for an order removing an auditor of an LLP from office if the authority considers that there are proper grounds for removing the auditor from office.

(3)

The members of an LLP may apply to the court for an order removing an auditor of the LLP from office if the applicant or applicants consider that there are proper grounds for removing the auditor from office.

(4)

If the court is satisfied, on hearing an application under subsection (2), that there are proper grounds for removing the auditor from office, it may make an order removing the auditor from office.

(5)

If the court is satisfied, on hearing an application under subsection (3), that—

(a)

the applicants represent in total not less than 5% of the voting rights of all the members having a right to vote at a general meeting of the LLP, and

(b)

there are proper grounds for removing the auditor from office,

the court may make an order removing the auditor from office.

(6)

For the purposes of this section, divergence of opinions on accounting treatments or audit procedures are not to be taken to be proper grounds for removing an auditor from office.

Notice to registrar of determination removing auditor from officeF3512.

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(2)

Until section 1068(1) comes into force, the notice referred to in section 512(1) as applied to LLPs by paragraph (1) must be in the form prescribed for the purposes of section 391(2) of the 1985 Act or Article 399(2) of the 1986 Order as applied to LLPs.