Open-Ended Investment Companies (Investment Companies with Variable Capital) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997

Rights on removal or non-reappointment

13.—(1) A resolution at a general meeting of a company—

(a) removing an auditor before the expiration of his period of office; or

(b) appointing as auditor a person other than the retiring auditor;

is not effective unless notice of the intention to remove it has been given to the investment company with variable capital at least 28 days before the meeting at which it is moved.

(2) On receipt of notice of such an intended resolution, the company shall forthwith send a copy to the person proposed to be removed or, as the case may be, to the person proposed to be appointed and to the retiring auditor.

(3) The auditor proposed to be removed or, as the case may be, the retiring auditor may make with respect to the intended resolution representations in writing to the company (not exceeding a reasonable length) and request their notification to the shareholders of the company.

(4) The company shall (unless the representations are received by the company too late for it to do so)—

(a) in any notice of the resolution given to the shareholders of the company, state the fact of the representations having been made;

(b) send a copy of the representations to each of the shareholders whose name appears on the register of shareholders (other than the person who is designated in the company’s instrument of incorporation for the purposes of paragraph 4 of Schedule 5) and to whom notice of the meetings is or has been sent;

(c) take such steps as SIB regulations may require for the purpose of bringing the fact that the representations have been made to the attention of the holders of any bearer shares; and

(d) at the request of any holder of bearer shares, provide a copy of the representations.

(5) If a copy of any such representations is not sent out as required because they were received too late or because of the company’s default or if, for either of those reasons, any steps required by sub-paragraph (4)(c) or (d) are not taken, the auditor may (without prejudice to his right to be heard orally) require that the representations be read out at the meeting.

(6) Copies of the representations need not be sent out, the steps required by sub-paragraph (4)(c) or (d) need not be taken and the representations need not be read out at the meeting if, on the application of the company or any other person claiming to be aggrieved, the court is satisfied that the rights conferred by this paragraph are being abused to secure needless publicity for defamatory matter; and the court may order the costs of the company on such an application to be paid in whole or in part by the auditor, notwithstanding that he is not a party to the application.