{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/companies-clauses-consolidation-act-1845/section-3",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/companies-clauses-consolidation-act-1845/section-3.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/Vict/8-9/16",
  "legislation_title": "Companies Clauses Consolidation Act 1845",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/companies-clauses-consolidation-act-1845",
  "path": "section/3",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "3",
  "heading": "Interpretations in this and the special Act: Number: Gender: “Lands:” “Lease:” “Month:” “Superior courts:” “Justice:” “Two justices:” “The company:” “Shareholder:” “Secretary.”",
  "text": "The following words and expressions both in this and the special Act shall have the several meanings hereby assigned to them, unless there be something in the subject or the context repugnant to such construction; (that is to say,)\nWords importing the singular number only shall include the plural number; and words importing the plural number only shall include the singular number:\nWords importing the masculine gender only shall include females:\nThe word “lands” shall extend to messuages, lands, tenements, and hereditaments, of any tenure:\nThe word “lease” shall include an agreement for a lease:\nThe word “month” shall mean calendar month:\nThe expression “superior courts” shall mean her Majesty’s superior courts of record at the Royal Courts of Justice or Belfast, as the case may require:\n. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\n. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\nThe word “justice” shall mean justice of the peace acting for the . . . place where the matter requiring the cognizance of any such justice shall arise, and who shall not be interested in the matter; and where any matter shall be authorized or required to be done by two justices the expression “two justices” shall be understood to mean two justices assembled and acting together in petty sessions:\nThe expression “the company” shall mean the company constituted by the special Act:\nThe expression “the directors” shall mean the directors of the company, and shall include all persons having the direction of the undertaking, whether under the name of directors, managers, committee of management, or under any other name:\nThe word “shareholder” shall mean shareholder, proprietor, or member of the company; and in referring to any such shareholder, expressions properly applicable to a person shall be held to apply to a corporation: And\nThe expression “secretary” shall mean the secretary of the company, and shall include the word “clerk.”",
  "extent": "E+W+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Words substituted by virtue of Supreme Court of Judicature (Consolidation) Act 1925 (c. 49), s. 224(1)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Word substituted by virtue of S.R. & O. 1921/1804 (Rev. XVI, p. 967: 1921, p. 422), art. 7(b)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Definition repealed by Statute Law (Repeals) Act 1981 (c. 19), s. 1(1), Sch. 1 Pt. VIII"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "S. 3 definition of \"county\" repealed (N.I.) by Statute Law Revision (Northern Ireland) Act 1980 (c. 59), s. 1, Sch. Pt. I; definition of \"county\" wholly repealed (5.11.1993) by 1993 c. 50, s. 1(1), Sch. 1 Pt. XIV Group 1"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F5",
      "text": "Words in s. 3 repealed (E.W.) (1.4.2005) by Courts Act 2003 (c. 39), s. 110(1), Sch. 8 para. 15, Sch. 10; S.I. 2005/910, art. 3(y)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F6",
      "text": "Words in s. 3 repealed (N.I.) (31.10.2016) by Justice Act (Northern Ireland) 2015 (c. 9), s. 106(2), Sch. 1 para. 8(1), Sch. 9 Pt. 1 (with Sch. 8 para. 1); S.R. 2016/387, art. 2(k)(m) (with art. 3)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F7",
      "text": "Words in s. 3 repealed (5.11.1993) by 1993 c. 50, s. 1(1), Sch. 1 Pt. XIV Group1"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Vict/8-9/16/section/3",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T13:34:21.564980+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}