Section 17: Prosecution of companies etc.
121.This section makes provision in respect of the prosecution of companies. It amends section 143 of the 1995 Act.
122.Section 143 as amended provides that bodies corporate may be represented by a representative. It defines a representative and how that representative proves to the court that s/he has authority to represent the body corporate.
123.The section further provides that if the body corporate fails to appear or be represented at a diet to which it has been cited or had due intimation of the court may proceed to hear and dispose of the case. In proceeding in the absence of a representative the court must satisfy itself that citation or intimation have been effected on the body corporate and that it would be in the interests of justice to proceed. The provisions relating to proceedings in the absence of a company representative are comparable to those made in section 150A of the 1995 Act (inserted by section 14 of this Act) which deals with proceedings in the absence of an individual accused.
