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Part IVU.K. Winding Up of Companies Registered under the Companies Acts

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1Pt. 4 (ss. 73-219) modified by Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986 (c. 46, SIF 27), ss. 21(2), 25

Pt. 4 modified by Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 1987 (c. 41, SIF 39:1), ss. 30(6), 35(4), 47(4)(a)

Pt. 4 modified by Criminal Justice Act 1988 (c. 33, SIF 39:1), ss. 86(5), 123, Sch. 8 para. 16

Pt. 4 modified (1.2.1993) by Friendly Societies Act 1992 (c. 40), s. 23, Sch. 10 para. 1(a) (with ss. 7(5), 93(4)); S.I. 1993/16, art. 2, Sch.3 (as amended (13.3.2018) by S.I. 2018/208, regs. 1(3), 3)

Pt. 4 modified (E.W.S.) (31.3.1996) by 1995 c. 20, s. 110(1), Sch. 4 para. 3(4); S.I. 1996/517, art. 3(2) (subject to transitional provisions and savings in arts. 4-6, Sch. 2) (which modifying Act was itself repealed (1.4.1996) by 1995 c. 40, ss. 6(1), 7(2), Sch. 5 (with Sch. 3, paras. 3, 16))

Pt. 4 modified (1.4.1996) by 1995 c. 43, ss. 44, 50(2), Sch. 2 para. 3(4)

Pt. 4 modified (24.3.2003) by 2002 c. 29, ss. 426(8), 458(1)(3); S.I. 2003/333, art. 2, Sch. (subject to arts. 3-13 (as amended by S.I. 2003/531, arts. 3, 4))

C2Pt. 4 (ss. 73-219) extended (with modifications) by Building Societies Act 1986 (1986 c. 53), ss. 54(3)(a)(5)(a), 90, 126(3), Sch. 15 (as amended (13.3.2018) by S.I. 2018/208, regs. 1(3), 2(2))

C3Pts. I-VII (ss. 1-251) applied (with modifications) by S.I. 1989/1276, arts. 2, 3

Pt. IV (ss. 73-219) applied (with modifications) (1.2.1993) by Friendly Societies Act 1992 (c. 40), ss. 21(1), 22, 23, Sch. 10 para. 1(a) (with ss. 7(5), 93(4)); S.I. 1993/16, art. 2, Sch. 3

Pt. IV applied (with modifications) (1.12.1994) by S.I. 1994/2421, art. 8(4)(5)(8)(9) (as amended (1.7.2005) by S.I. 2005/1516, art. 4)

Pt. IV applied (1.12.1994) by S.I. 1994/2421, art. 10(2)(3)(6), Sch. 4 Pt. II, Sch. 7 (as amended (1.7.2005) by S.I. 2005/1516, art. 5)

C4Pts. 1-4, 6, 7 applied to limited liability partnerships (with modifications) (E.W.S.) (6.4.2001) by S.I. 2001/1090, reg. 5, Schs. 3, 4 (as amended (4.3.2004) by S.I. 2004/355, art. 10 and (1.10.2005) by S.I. 2005/1989, reg. 3, Sch. 2 (with reg. 4))

C5Pt. IV: power to apply or incorporate conferred (6.4.2001) by 2000 c. 12, s. 14(1); S.I. 2000/3316, art. 2

Pt. IV: power to apply (with modifications) conferred (20.11.2003) by Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Act 2003 (c. 43), ss. 25(6), 26

Pt. 4: power to apply (with modifications) conferred (E.W.) (1.3.2007) by National Health Service Act 2006 (c. 41), ss. 54(8), 55, 277

C6First Group of Parts (Pts. 1-7) applied (with modifications) (15.12.2006) by The Banks (Former Authorised Institutions) (Insolvency) Order 2006 (S.I. 2006/3107), art. 3, Sch. (as amended (1.4.2013) by S.I. 2013/472, art. 1(1), Sch. 2 para. 117; and (13.3.2018) by S.I. 2018/208, regs. 1(3), 11

C7Pt. IV amended (1.12.2001) by 2000 c. 8, s. 371(2)(b); S.I. 2001/3538, art. 2(1)

C8Pt. IV (except s. 185) modified (S.) (prosp.) by Bankruptcy and Diligence etc. (Scotland) Act 2007 (asp 3), ss. 45(5), 227(3) (subject to s. 45(1) and with ss. 45(6), 223)

Chapter XE+W+S Malpractice before and during Liquidation; Penalisation of Companies and Company Officers; Investigations and Prosecutions

Penalisation of directors and officersE+W+S

214 Wrongful trading.E+W+S

(1)Subject to subsection (3) below, if in the course of the winding up of a company it appears that subsection (2) of this section applies in relation to a person who is or has been a director of the company, the court, on the application of the liquidator, may declare that that person is to be liable to make such contribution (if any) to the company’s assets as the court thinks proper.

(2)This subsection applies in relation to a person if—

(a)the company has gone into insolvent liquidation,

(b)at some time before the commencement of the winding up of the company, that person knew or ought to have concluded that there was no reasonable prospect that the company would avoid going into insolvent liquidation, and

(c)that person was a director of the company at that time;

but the court shall not make a declaration under this section in any case where the time mentioned in paragraph (b) above was before 28th April 1986.

(3)The court shall not make a declaration under this section with respect to any person if it is satisfied that after the condition specified in subsection (2)(b) was first satisfied in relation to him that person took every step with a view to minimising the potential loss to the company’s creditors as (assuming him to have known that there was no reasonable prospect that the company would avoid going into insolvent liquidation) he ought to have taken.

(4)For the purposes of subsections (2) and (3), the facts which a director of a company ought to know or ascertain, the conclusions which he ought to reach and the steps which he ought to take are those which would be known or ascertained, or reached or taken, by a reasonably diligent person having both—

(a)the general knowledge, skill and experience that may reasonably be expected of a person carrying out the same functions as are carried out by that director in relation to the company, and

(b)the general knowledge, skill and experience that that director has.

(5)The reference in subsection (4) to the functions carried out in relation to a company by a director of the company includes any functions which he does not carry out but which have been entrusted to him.

(6)For the purposes of this section a company goes into insolvent liquidation if it goes into liquidation at a time when its assets are insufficient for the payment of its debts and other liabilities and the expenses of the winding up.

(7)In this section “director” includes a shadow director.

(8)This section is without prejudice to section 213.

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C9S. 214 modified (7.10.2008 at 9.30 a.m.) ) by The Heritable Bank plc Transfer of Certain Rights and Liabilities Order 2008 (S.I. 2008/2644), art. 26, Sch. 2 para. 3(a)

C10S. 214 modified (29.9.2008 at 8.00 a.m.) ) by The Bradford & Bingley plc Transfer of Securities and Property etc. Order 2008 (S.I. 2008/2546), art. 13, Sch. 1 para. 3(a)

C11S. 214 modified (22.2.2008) by The Northern Rock plc Transfer Order 2008 (S.I. 2008/432), art. 17(1), Sch. para. 3(a)

C12S. 214 applied (with modifications) (S.) (6.4.2001) by S.S.I. 2001/128, reg. 4(1), Sch. 2

C13S. 214 applied (with modifications) (17.2.2009 for certain purposes, otherwise 21.2.2009) by Banking Act 2009 (c. 1), ss. 103, 263(1)(2) (with s. 247); S.I. 2009/296, arts. 2, 3, Sch. para. 2

C14S. 214 applied (with modifications) (17.2.2009 for certain purposes, otherwise 21.2.2009) by Banking Act 2009 (c. 1), ss. 145, 263(1)(2) (with s. 247); S.I. 2009/296, arts. 2, 3, Sch. para. 3

C15S. 214 modified (30.3.2009 at 8.00 a.m.) by The Amendments to Law (Resolution of Dunfermline Building Society) Order 2009 (S.I. 2009/814), art. 7, Sch. 1 para. 3(a)

C16S. 214(2) modified (S.) (6.4.2001) by S.S.I. 2001/128, reg. 4(2), Sch. 3