Companies Act 2006 (2024)

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Changes and effects yet to be applied to the whole Act associated Parts and Chapters:

  • Act amendment to earlier affecting provision S.I. 2008/373 reg. 11(1) by S.I. 2013/1971 reg. 9(a) (This amendment not applied to legislation.gov.uk. Amending Regulations revoked (1.10.2013) without ever being in force by S.I. 2013/2224, reg. 2)
  • Act amendment to earlier affecting provision S.I. 2008/373 reg. 3(4) by S.I. 2013/1971 reg. 4 (This amendment not applied to legislation.gov.uk. Amending Regulations revoked (1.10.2013) without ever being in force by S.I. 2013/2224, reg. 2)

Whole provisions yet to be inserted into this Act (including any effects on those provisions):

  • s. 156A-156C inserted by 2015 c. 26 s. 87(4)
  • s. 479A(2)(c)(zi) inserted by S.I. 2019/177 reg. 4(b)(i) (This amendment not applied to legislation.gov.uk. Reg. 4 substituted by regs. 4, 4A immediately before IP completion day by S.I. 2019/1392, regs. 1(2), 4)
  • s. 1110E-110G applied by S.I. 2009/1804, reg. 60 (as amended) by S.I. 2024/234 reg. 26
  • s. 11989A applied (with modifications) by S.I. 2009/1804, reg. 79A (as inserted) by S.I. 2024/234 reg. 46
  • Sch. 10 para. 6(2D) inserted by S.I. 2019/177 reg. 28(e) (This amendment not applied to legislation.gov.uk. Reg. 28(e) omitted immediately before IP completion day by virtue of S.I. 2020/523, regs. 1(2), 14(e)(iv))
  • Sch. 10 para. 7(2A) inserted by S.I. 2019/177 reg. 29(b) (This amendment not applied to legislation.gov.uk. Reg. 29 substituted immediately before IP completion day by S.I. 2020/523, regs. 1(2), 14(f))
172Duty to promote the success of the companyU.K.

This section has no associated Explanatory Notes

(1)A director of a company must act in the way he considers, in good faith, would be most likely to promote the success of the company for the benefit of its members as a whole, and in doing so have regard (amongst other matters) to—

(a)the likely consequences of any decision in the long term,

(b)the interests of the company's employees,

(c)the need to foster the company's business relationships with suppliers, customers and others,

(d)the impact of the company's operations on the community and the environment,

(e)the desirability of the company maintaining a reputation for high standards of business conduct, and

(f)the need to act fairly as between members of the company.

(2)Where or to the extent that the purposes of the company consist of or include purposes other than the benefit of its members, subsection (1) has effect as if the reference to promoting the success of the company for the benefit of its members were to achieving those purposes.

(3)The duty imposed by this section has effect subject to any enactment or rule of law requiring directors, in certain circ*mstances, to consider or act in the interests of creditors of the company.

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1Ss. 170-177 modified (22.2.2008) by The Northern Rock plc Transfer Order 2008 (S.I. 2008/432), art. 17(1), Sch. para. 2(e)

C2Ss. 170-177 modified (8.00 a.m. on 29.9.2008) by the The Bradford & Bingley plc Transfer of Securities and Property etc. Order 2008 (S.I. 2008/2546), art. 13(1)(3), Sch. 1 para. 2(e)

C3Ss. 170-177 modified (9.30 a.m. on 7.10.2008) by The Heritable Bank plc Transfer of Certain Rights and Liabilities Order 2008 (S.I. 2008/2644), art. 26, Sch. 2 para. 2(e)

C4Ss. 170-177 modified (retrospective to 30.3.2009 at 8.00 a.m.) by The Amendments to Law (Resolution of Dunfermline Building Society) Order 2009 (S.I. 2009/814), arts. 1(2), 7, Sch. para. 2(e)

C6S. 172 applied (with modifications) (8.12.2017) by The Risk Transformation Regulations 2017 (S.I. 2017/1212), regs. 1(2), 83(1) (with reg. 189)

Commencement Information

I1S. 172 wholly in force at 1.10.2007; s. 172 not in force at Royal Assent see s. 1300; s. 172 in force at 1.10.2007 by S.I. 2007/2194, art. 2(1)(d) (with savings in art. 12 and subject to transitional adaptations specified in Sch. 1)

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Companies Act 2006 (2024)

FAQs

What is the minimum number of directors for a company in the Companies Act 2006? ›

Section 154: Companies required to have directors

This section replaces section 282 of the 1985 Act. It distinguishes between private and public companies. It retains the requirement for a private company to have at least one director and requires all public companies to have at least two.

What is the Companies Act 2006 conflict of interest? ›

175Duty to avoid conflicts of interest

(1)A director of a company must avoid a situation in which he has, or can have, a direct or indirect interest that conflicts, or possibly may conflict, with the interests of the company.

Does Companies Act 2006 replace 1985? ›

This Part of the Act is about how companies are formed. It replaces or, as the case may be, restates equivalent provisions in the 1985 Act.

What is the main purpose of the Companies Act? ›

What is the aim of the Companies Act? The Companies Act aims, amongst others, to specify the relationship between all parties involved in the company, i.e. shareholders, members and directors as stakeholders.

What is the Companies Act 2006 special resolution? ›

In English company law, a special resolution refers to a formal decision made by the shareholders of a company on certain important matters. It's governed by the Companies Act 2006 and is used for significant decisions that require the approval of a larger majority of shareholders than a regular resolution.

What happens if a company has no directors? ›

Should a company be left without directors for any reason then shareholders can request a general meeting in order to appoint new ones or a new one. If they don't have the authority to call one then they can apply to the Court who can order a general meeting on their behalf.

What is the main requirement of the Companies Act 2006 relating to a private company? ›

(1)A private company must have at least one director. (2)A public company must have at least two directors.

What is Section 155 of the Companies Act 2006? ›

Section 155: Companies required to have at least one director who is a natural person. 282. This section is a new provision.

What is Section 182 of the Companies Act 2006? ›

Section 182: Declaration of interest in existing transaction or arrangement. 360. This section requires a director to declare the nature and extent of any direct or indirect interest that he has in any transaction or arrangement entered into by the company. It replaces the provision made by section 317 of the 1985 Act.

What is Section 172 of the Companies Act 2006? ›

Section 172: Duty to promote the success of the company

This duty codifies the current law and enshrines in statute what is commonly referred to as the principle of “enlightened shareholder value”.

What is the Companies Act 2006 declaration of directors interests? ›

The Companies Act 2006 divides the duty of directors to declare their interests in transactions and arrangements into two provisions: Section 177 relates specifically to directors declaring their interests in transactions or arrangements which are proposed but have not yet been entered into by the company.

What does the Companies Act 1985 require of directors? ›

291 Share qualification of directors.

(1)It is the duty of every director who is by the company's articles required to hold a specified share qualification, and who is not already qualified, to obtain his qualification within 2 months after his appointment, or such shorter time as may be fixed by the articles.

What is the difference between the old and new Companies Act? ›

What is the Difference between Companies Act 1956 and Companies Act 2013? The major difference between Companies Act 1956 and Companies Act 2013 is that the Companies Act 2013 had 7 schedules and 464 sections, while Companies Act 1956 had 15 schedules and 658 sections.

What is a special resolution under the Companies Act 1985? ›

(2)A resolution is a special resolution when it has been passed by such a majority as is required for the passing of an extraordinary resolution and at a general meeting of which not less than 21 days' notice, specifying the intention to propose the resolution as a special resolution, has been duly given.

What are the highlights of the Companies Act? ›

Highlights of Companies Act 2013
  • Increase in the size of the members of private companies: The earlier limit of members in private companies was up to 50 members. ...
  • One Person Company (OPC): A private company with at least one member and one director.

What are directors responsible for according to the Companies Act 2006? ›

The duty to promote the success of the company. The duty to exercise independent judgment. The duty to exercise reasonable care, skill and diligence. The duty to avoid conflicts of interest.

What is the rule 5 of the Companies Act? ›

(5) If One Person Company or any officer of the One Person Company contravenes the provisions of these rules, One Person Company or any officer of the One Person Company shall be punishable with fine which may extend to ten thousand rupees and with a further fine which may extend to one thousand rupees for every day ...

What is the Part 5 of the Companies Act? ›

Part 5 codifies, for the first time in Irish law, all the duties of directors and other officers of the company. Up until now, these duties were to be found in the common law and in various statutory provisions.

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