{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/insolvency-northern-ireland-order-1989/article-140",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/insolvency-northern-ireland-order-1989/article-140.json",
  "legislation": "nisi/1989/2405",
  "legislation_title": "The Insolvency (Northern Ireland) Order 1989",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/insolvency-northern-ireland-order-1989",
  "path": "article/140",
  "kind": "article",
  "number": "140",
  "heading": "Voluntary winding up",
  "text": "(1) This Article has effect where a company is being wound up voluntarily, but subject to Article 141 in the case of a creditors' voluntary winding up.\n(2) The liquidator may—\n(a ) in the case of a members' voluntary winding up, with the sanction of an special resolution of the company, and\n(b) in the case of a creditor's voluntary winding up, with the sanction of the High Court or the liquidation committee (or, if there is no such committee, a meeting of the company's creditors),\nexercise any of the powers specified in Part I of Schedule 2 (payment of debts, compromise of claims, etc.).\n(3) The liquidator may, without sanction, exercise either of the powers specified in Part II of Schedule 2 (institution and defence of proceedings; carrying on the business of the company) and any of the general powers specified in Part III of Schedule 2.\n(4) The liquidator may—\n(a) exercise the High Court's power of settling a list of contributories (which list is prima facie evidence of the liability of the persons named in it to be contributories),\n(b) exercise the Court's power of making calls,\n(c) summon general meetings of the company for the purpose of obtaining its sanction by special resolution or for any other purpose he may think fit.\n(5) The liquidator shall pay the company's debts and adjust the rights of the contributories among themselves.\n(6) Where the liquidator in exercise of the powers conferred on him by this Order disposes of any property of the company to a person who is connected with the company (within the meaning given by Article 7), he shall, if there is for the time being a liquidation committee, give notice to the committee of that exercise of his powers.",
  "extent": "N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "mod. by SR 2004/307"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Words in art. 140(2)(a) substituted (1.10.2007 with application as mentioned in Sch. 4 para. 60(2) of the amending S.I.) by Companies Act 2006 (Commencement No. 3, Consequential Amendments, Transitional Provisions and Savings) Order 2007 (S.I. 2007/2194), arts. 1(3)(a), 10(1), Sch. 4 para. 60(1)(a) (with art. 12)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Words in art. 140(4)(c) substituted (1.10.2007 with application as mentioned in Sch. 4 para. 60(2) of the amending S.I.) by Companies Act 2006 (Commencement No. 3, Consequential Amendments, Transitional Provisions and Savings) Order 2007 (S.I. 2007/2194), arts. 1(3)(a), 10(1), Sch. 4 para. 60(1)(b) (with art. 12)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C1",
      "text": "Pts. 1-5 applied (with modifications) (4.1.2024) by S.I. 2021/716, Sch. 1A para. 3 (as inserted by The Payment and Electronic Money Institution Insolvency (Amendment) Regulations 2023 (S.I. 2023/1399), reg. 1(2), Sch. 1)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [
    {
      "type": "substituted for art. 140(2)(3)",
      "affecting": "nia/2026/6",
      "affecting_title": "Insolvency (Amendment) Act (Northern Ireland) 2026"
    }
  ],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisi/1989/2405/article/140",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T04:47:04.938020+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."
}