The Limited Liability Partnerships (Accounts and Audit) (Application of Companies Act 2006) Regulations 2008

Rights of auditor not re-appointed U.K.

45.—(1) Sections 515 to 518 apply to LLPs, modified so that they read as follows—

“Failure to re-appoint auditor: rights of auditor who is not re-appointed

515.— (1) No person may be appointed as auditor in place of a person (the “outgoing auditor”) whose term of office has ended or is to end at the end of the period for appointing auditors unless the LLP has given 7 days' prior notice to the outgoing auditor.

(2) The outgoing auditor may make with respect to the proposal representations in writing to the LLP (not exceeding a reasonable length) and request their notification to members of the LLP.

(3) The LLP must upon receipt send a copy of the representations to every member.

(4) Copies of the representations need not be sent out if, on the application either of the LLP or of any other person claiming to be aggrieved, the court is satisfied that the auditor is using the provisions of this section to secure needless publicity for defamatory matter. The court may order the LLP's costs (in Scotland, expenses) on the application to be paid in whole or in part by the auditor, notwithstanding that he is not a party to the application.

Resignation of auditor

516.— (1) An auditor of an LLP may resign his office by depositing a notice in writing to that effect at the LLP's registered office.

(2) The notice is not effective unless it is accompanied by the statement required by section 519.

(3) An effective notice of resignation operates to bring the auditor's term of office to an end as of the date on which the notice is deposited or on such later date as may be specified in it.

Notice to registrar of resignation of auditor

517.— (1) Where an auditor resigns the LLP must within 14 days of the deposit of a notice of resignation send a copy of the notice to the registrar of companies.

(2) If default is made in complying with this section, an offence is committed by—

(a) the LLP, and

(b) every designated member of the LLP who is in default.

(3) A person guilty of an offence under this section is liable—

(a) on conviction on indictment, to a fine;

(b) on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum and, for continued contravention, a daily default fine not exceeding one-tenth of the statutory maximum.

Rights of resigning auditor

518.— (1) This section applies where an auditor's notice of resignation is accompanied by a statement of the circumstances connected with his resignation (see section 519).

(2) He may deposit with the notice a signed requisition calling on the designated members of the LLP forthwith duly to convene a meeting of the members of the LLP for the purpose of receiving and considering such explanation of the circumstances connected with his resignation as he may wish to place before the meeting.

(3) He may request the LLP to circulate to its members before the meeting convened on his requisition, a statement in writing (not exceeding a reasonable length) of the circumstances connected with his resignation.

(4) The LLP must (unless the statement is received too late for it to comply)—

(a) in any notice of the meeting given to members of the LLP, state the fact of the statement having been made, and

(b) send a copy of the statement to every member of the LLP to whom notice of the meeting is or has been sent.

(5) The designated members must within 21 days from the date of the deposit of a requisition under this section proceed duly to convene a meeting for a day not more than 28 days after the date on which the notice convening the meeting is given.

(6) If default is made in complying with subsection (5), every designated member who failed to take all reasonable steps to secure that a meeting was convened commits an offence.

(7) A person guilty of an offence under this section is liable—

(a) on conviction on indictment, to a fine;

(b) on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum.

(8) If a copy of the statement mentioned above is not sent out as required because received too late or because of the LLP's default, the auditor may (without prejudice to his right to be heard orally) require that the statement be read out at the meeting.

(9) Copies of a statement need not be sent out and the statement need not be read out at the meeting if, on the application either of the LLP or of any other person who claims to be aggrieved, the court is satisfied that the auditor is using the provisions of this section to secure needless publicity for defamatory matter. The court may order the LLP's costs (in Scotland, expenses) 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.

(10) An auditor who has resigned has, notwithstanding his resignation, the rights conferred by section 502(1) in relation to any such meeting of the LLP as is mentioned in subsection (3). In such a case the references in that section to matters concerning the auditor as auditor shall be construed as references to matters concerning him as a former auditor.”

(2) In section 518 (applied to LLPs by paragraph (1)) as it applies in relation to an auditor appointed before 1st October 2008, the reference to rights under section 502(1) shall be read as a reference to rights under section 390(1) of the 1985 Act or Article 398(1) of the 1986 Order as applied to LLPs.