General
113Register of members
(1)Every company must keep a register of its members.
(2)There must be entered in the register—
(a)the names and addresses of the members,
(b)the date on which each person was registered as a member, and
(c)the date at which any person ceased to be a member.
(3)In the case of a company having a share capital, there must be entered in the register, with the names and addresses of the members, a statement of—
(a)the shares held by each member, distinguishing each share—
(i)by its number (so long as the share has a number), and
(ii)where the company has more than one class of issued shares, by its class, and
(b)the amount paid or agreed to be considered as paid on the shares of each member.
(4)If the company has converted any of its shares into stock, and given notice of the conversion to the registrar, the register of members must show the amount and class of stock held by each member instead of the amount of shares and the particulars relating to shares specified above.
(5)In the case of joint holders of shares or stock in a company, the company’s register of members must state the names of each joint holder.
In other respects joint holders are regarded for the purposes of this Chapter as a single member (so that the register must show a single address).
(6)In the case of a company that does not have a share capital but has more than one class of members, there must be entered in the register, with the names and addresses of the members, a statement of the class to which each member belongs.
(7)If a company makes default in complying with this section an offence is committed by—
(a)the company, and
(b)every officer of the company who is in default.
(8)A person guilty of an offence under this section is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale and, for continued contravention, a daily default fine not exceeding one-tenth of level 3 on the standard scale.
114Register to be kept available for inspection
(1)A company’s register of members must be kept available for inspection—
(a)at its registered office, or
(b)at a place specified in regulations under section 1136.
(2)A company must give notice to the registrar of the place where its register of members is kept available for inspection and of any change in that place.
(3)No such notice is required if the register has, at all times since it came into existence (or, in the case of a register in existence on the relevant date, at all times since then) been kept available for inspection at the company’s registered office.
(4)The relevant date for the purposes of subsection (3) is—
(a)1st July 1948 in the case of a company registered in Great Britain, and
(b)1st April 1961 in the case of a company registered in Northern Ireland.
(5)If a company makes default for 14 days in complying with subsection (2), an offence is committed by—
(a)the company, and
(b)every officer of the company who is in default.
(6)A person guilty of an offence under this section is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale and, for continued contravention, a daily default fine not exceeding one-tenth of level 3 on the standard scale.
115Index of members
(1)Every company having more than 50 members must keep an index of the names of the members of the company, unless the register of members is in such a form as to constitute in itself an index.
(2)The company must make any necessary alteration in the index within 14 days after the date on which any alteration is made in the register of members.
(3)The index must contain, in respect of each member, a sufficient indication to enable the account of that member in the register to be readily found.
(4)The index must be at all times kept available for inspection at the same place as the register of members.
(5)If default is made in complying with this section, an offence is committed by—
(a)the company, and
(b)every officer of the company who is in default.
(6)A person guilty of an offence under this section is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale and, for continued contravention, a daily default fine not exceeding one-tenth of level 3 on the standard scale.
116Rights to inspect and require copies
(1)The register and the index of members' names must be open to the inspection—
(a)of any member of the company without charge, and
(b)of any other person on payment of such fee as may be prescribed.
(2)Any person may require a copy of a company’s register of members, or of any part of it, on payment of such fee as may be prescribed.
(3)A person seeking to exercise either of the rights conferred by this section must make a request to the company to that effect.
(4)The request must contain the following information—
(a)in the case of an individual, his name and address;
(b)in the case of an organisation, the name and address of an individual responsible for making the request on behalf of the organisation;
(c)the purpose for which the information is to be used; and
(d)whether the information will be disclosed to any other person, and if so—
(i)where that person is an individual, his name and address,
(ii)where that person is an organisation, the name and address of an individual responsible for receiving the information on its behalf, and
(iii)the purpose for which the information is to be used by that person.
117Register of members: response to request for inspection or copy
(1)Where a company receives a request under section 116 (register of members: right to inspect and require copy), it must within five working days either—
(a)comply with the request, or
(b)apply to the court.
(2)If it applies to the court it must notify the person making the request.
(3)If on an application under this section the court is satisfied that the inspection or copy is not sought for a proper purpose—
(a)it shall direct the company not to comply with the request, and
(b)it may further order that the company’s costs (in Scotland, expenses) on the application be paid in whole or in part by the person who made the request, even if he is not a party to the application.
(4)If the court makes such a direction and it appears to the court that the company is or may be subject to other requests made for a similar purpose (whether made by the same person or different persons), it may direct that the company is not to comply with any such request.
The order must contain such provision as appears to the court appropriate to identify the requests to which it applies.
(5)If on an application under this section the court does not direct the company not to comply with the request, the company must comply with the request immediately upon the court giving its decision or, as the case may be, the proceedings being discontinued.
118Register of members: refusal of inspection or default in providing copy
(1)If an inspection required under section 116 (register of members: right to inspect and require copy) is refused or default is made in providing a copy required under that section, otherwise than in accordance with an order of the court, an offence is committed by—
(a)the company, and
(b)every officer of the company who is in default.
(2)A person guilty of an offence under this section is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale and, for continued contravention, a daily default fine not exceeding one-tenth of level 3 on the standard scale.
(3)In the case of any such refusal or default the court may by order compel an immediate inspection or, as the case may be, direct that the copy required be sent to the person requesting it.
119Register of members: offences in connection with request for or disclosure of information
(1)It is an offence for a person knowingly or recklessly to make in a request under section 116 (register of members: right to inspect or require copy) a statement that is misleading, false or deceptive in a material particular.
(2)It is an offence for a person in possession of information obtained by exercise of either of the rights conferred by that section—
(a)to do anything that results in the information being disclosed to another person, or
(b)to fail to do anything with the result that the information is disclosed to another person,
knowing, or having reason to suspect, that person may use the information for a purpose that is not a proper purpose.
(3)A person guilty of an offence under this section is liable—
(a)on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or a fine (or both);
(b)on summary conviction—
(i)in England and Wales, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding twelve months or to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum (or both);
(ii)in Scotland or Northern Ireland, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months, or to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum (or both).
120Information as to state of register and index
(1)When a person inspects the register, or the company provides him with a copy of the register or any part of it, the company must inform him of the most recent date (if any) on which alterations were made to the register and there were no further alterations to be made.
(2)When a person inspects the index of members' names, the company must inform him whether there is any alteration to the register that is not reflected in the index.
(3)If a company fails to provide the information required under subsection (1) or (2), an offence is committed by—
(a)the company, and
(b)every officer of the company who is in default.
(4)A person guilty of an offence under this section is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale.
121Removal of entries relating to former members
An entry relating to a former member of the company may be removed from the register after the expiration of ten years from the date on which he ceased to be a member.