Article 153 General rule against company acquiring own shares
Northern Ireland
Subject to the following provisions, a company limited by shares or limited by guarantee and having a share capital shall not acquire its own shares, whether by purchase, subscription or otherwise.
If a company purports to act in contravention of this Article, the company is liable to a fine, and every officer of the company who is in default is liable to imprisonment or a fine, or both; andF1, subject to paragraph (2A), the purported acquisition is void.
Where a company purchases qualifying shares out of distributable profits under Article 172, any contravention by the company of any provision of Article 172B(1) or (2) shall not render the acquisition void under paragraph (2).
A company limited by shares may acquire any of its own fully paid shares otherwise than for valuable consideration; and paragraph (1) does not apply in relation to—
the redemption or purchase of shares in accordance with Chapter VII,
the acquisition of shares in a reduction of capital duly made,
the purchase of shares in pursuance of an order of the court under Article 16 (alteration of objects), Article 64 (litigated objection to resolution for company to be re-registered as private) or F2section 996 of the Companies Act 2006 (relief to members unfairly prejudiced), or
the forfeiture of shares, or the acceptance of shares surrendered in lieu, in pursuance of the company's articles, for failure to pay any sum payable in respect of the shares.
Annotations
Textual amendments
- F1
SR 2004/275
- F2
Words in art. 153(3)(c) substituted (6.4.2008) by Companies Act 2006 (Consequential Amendments etc) Order 2008 (S.I. 2008/948), arts. 2(2), 3(1)(b), Sch. 1 para. 126 (with arts. 6, 11, 12)
Notes on the whole Order
Textual amendments
- F1
Order revoked (1.1.2007 for the revocation of arts. 39(4), 52, 656A(1), 658, 660, 20.1.2007 for the revocation of arts. 206-228, 246(4A)-(4E), 247(2A)(2B), 259(2A)-(2E), 261(2A), 270 and 270A (for specified purposes), 374A(3A)(6), 377(5)-(11), 380(2A)(2B)(6A), 387A(2B)-(2F)(6), 6.4.2007 for the revocation of arts. 51, 301, 302, 319, 331-337, 351, 352, 432(2)(8) (for specified purposes), 432(3)(7), 446(2)(b), 669, 677, Sch. 13 Pts. 2-4, Sch. 22, 6.4.2007 for the revocation of arts. 2 (for specified purposes), 421-423F, Sch. 7 paras. 2, 2A, 2B, 1.10.2007 for the revocation of arts. 9, 135(6), 242(1) (for specified purposes), 242ZZB, 249 (for specified purposes), 254(4)(a) (for specified purposes), 254A(2A), 260, 261, 290, 293, 300, 311, 312, 317, 318 (for specified purposes), 320-324, 326-330, 330B, 338-355, 364, 365 (for specified purposes), 374-387, 387A91)(b)-(e), 388(1)(4)(a)(c)-(m), 389-391, 392 and 393 (for specified purposes), 393A, 394, 395-396A (for specified purposes), 401, 451-454, Sch. 13 Pt. 1, Sch. 15A, Sch. 23 (for specified purposes), 6.4.2008 for the revocation of art. 2 (for specified purposes), 10A-10C, 46A(2)(4)-(6), 46A93) (for specified purposes), 68, 91, 127, 128, 192(1)(b), 193-205, 229-242ZZA, 242ZA-259, 262-289, 291, 292, 294, 318, 360(6)(7), 388(4)(b), 392, 393, 395-396A, 397A-400A, 401A, 401B, 418-420A, 680-680B, Schs. 4-11, 15B, 23 (for specified purposes), 1.10.2008 for the revocation of arts. 161-163 and 165-168 (for specified purposes), 313, 325, 356, 357, 359, 675, Sch. 23 (for specified purposes) and 1.10.2009 in so far as not already in force) by Companies Act 2006 (c. 46), ss. 1284(2), 1300(2), Sch. 16; S.I. 2006/3428, art. 2(2)(h), 3(2)(e), 4(2), 7(a)(b)(c), Sch. 1 Pt. 2, Sch. 3 Pt. 2, Sch. 4 Pt. 2 (with arts. 6, 8(2), Sch. 1 paras. 7, 8, 15, Sch. 5 Pt. 2 (which transitional provisions in Sch. 1 are revoked (1.10.2009) by S.I. 2008/2860, arts. 1(2), 6(1)(a) (with arts. 5, 8, Sch. 2)); S.I. 2007/1093, art. 5, Sch. 2 Pt. 2 (with arts. 4, 11(1), Sch. 6 paras. 1, 5); S.I. 2007/2194, arts. 2(4), 8, Sch. 2 Pt. 2 (with arts. 7, 12(2), Sch. 3) (as amended: (30.9.2007) by S.I. 2007/2607, arts. 1, 4(2)(3); (31.12.2007) by S.I. 2007/3495, arts. 2(6)(a), 11, Sch. 5 para. 2(6); and (14.1.2008) by S.I. 2007/3495, arts. 2(6)(b), 11, Sch. 5 para. 2(2)(7) (as itself amended (6.4.2008) by S.I. 2008/674, arts. 2(3), 5, Sch. 3 para. 7)); S.I. 2007/3495, art. 5(2), 8(a)(b), Sch. 2 Pt. 2, Sch. 3 Pt. 2 (with arts. 7, 9, 12, Sch. 4) (as amended (6.4.2008) by S.I. 2008/674, arts. 2(3), 5, Sch. 3 para. 6); S.I. 2008/2860, art. 3(z), 4, Sch. 2 Pt. 2 (with arts. 7, 8, 63(5), Sch. 2 paras. 1, 114 (which transitional provisions in Sch. 2 are amended (1.10.2009) by S.I. 2009/2476, arts. 1(3), 2(3)(4) and by S.I. 2009/1802, arts. 1, 18, Sch.)) (as amended (1.10.2009) by S.I. 2009/1941, arts. 1(2), 13); and with further savings and transitional provisions (1.10.2009) in S.I. 2009/1801, reg. 1(2), Sch. 8 and S.I. 2009/1804, reg. 2(3), Schs. 1, 2