The Companies Act 2006 (Consequential Amendments, Transitional Provisions and Savings) Order 2009

Newspaper Libel and Registration Act 1881 (c. 60)

1.—(1) The Newspaper Libel and Registration Act 1881 is amended as follows.

(2) In section 1 (interpretation)—

(a) for the definition of “registrar” substitute—

“The word “registrar” means—

(a) in England and Wales, the registrar of companies for England and Wales, and

(b) in Northern Ireland, the registrar of companies for Northern Ireland.”;

(b) omit the definition of “registry office”.

(3) In the following provisions for “to the Registry Office” substitute “to the registrar”—

• section 9(1) (annual return to be made);

• section 11 (power of party to transaction in share or interest in newspaper to make return).

(4) For section 13 (registrar to enter returns in register) substitute—

“Registrar to enter returns in register

13.— (1) It is the duty of the registrar forthwith to register every return made under this Act in the register of newspaper proprietors.

(2) Any person may—

(a) inspect the register, or

(b) require a copy of any material on the register.

(3) The registrar may specify the form and manner—

(a) in which application is to be made for any such inspection or copy, and

(b) in which copies are to be provided.

(4) The applicant may require any copy so provided to be certified by the registrar as a true copy.

(5) The Secretary of State may make provision by regulations (to be made by statutory instrument) as to the manner in which such a certificate is to be provided in a case where the copy is provided in electronic form.

(6) Copies provided by the registrar may, instead of being certified in writing to be an accurate record, be sealed with the registrar’s official seal.”.

(5) Omit section 14 (fees payable for registrar’s services).

(6) For section 15 (copies of entries in and extracts from register to be evidence) substitute—

“Certified copy of material on register to be admissible in evidence

15.   A copy provided under section 13, certified by the registrar (whose official position it is unnecessary to prove) to be an accurate record of the contents of the original document, is in all legal proceedings admissible in evidence—

(a) as of equal validity with the original document, and

(b) as evidence of any fact stated in the original document of which direct oral evidence would be admissible.”.

(7) In section 18 (exclusion of newspapers belonging to joint stock companies), for “joint stock company duly incorporated under and subject to the provisions of the Companies Acts 1862 to 1879” substitute “company formed and registered under the Companies Act 2006 or incorporated in another EEA state”.

(1)

Section 9 was amended by the Statute Law Revision Act 1894 (c.56).