Companies Act 2006 Explanatory Notes

Agreeing to written resolutions

Section 296: Procedure for signifying agreement to written resolution

539.Under this section, a member may signify agreement to a written resolution in hard copy or electronic form, although if the company does not permit electronic form communications, or is not deemed to do so by virtue of section 298, the member will have to signify his consent in hard copy (see paragraph 6 (conditions for use of communications in electronic form) of Schedule 4 (documents and information sent or supplied to a company). Once a member has signified agreement to a written resolution, he cannot withdraw his agreement. This provides certainty for the company as to when the required majority of eligible members needed to agree the resolution has been reached.

Section 297: Period for agreeing to written resolution

540.This section puts a time limit of 28 days for passing a written resolution, unless the company’s articles specify a different period. This means that there will be a definite point when the company can say that a resolution with insufficient support has not been passed.

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