COMPANY NO. 8568957
COMPANIES ACT 2006
A PUBLIC COMPANY LIMITED BY SHARES
ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION
of
JUST GROUP PLC
(adopted by a special resolution passed on 10 May 2022)
PRELIMINARY
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- None of the regulations in the model articles for public companies set out in Schedule 3 to the Companies (Model Articles) Regulations 2008 (or any amendments thereto) shall apply to the Company. Model articles
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- In these Articles, except where the subject or context otherwise requires: Definitions
Act means the Companies Act 2006 including any modification or re-enactment of it for the time being in force;
Articles means these articles of association as altered from time to time by special resolution;
auditors means the auditors of the Company;
the board means the directors or any of them acting as the board of directors of the Company;
certificated share means a share in the capital of the Company that is not an uncertificated share and references in these Articles to a share being held in certificated form shall be construed accordingly;
clear days in relation to the sending of a notice means the period excluding the day on which a notice is given or deemed to be given and the day for which it is given or on which it is to take effect;
combined physical and electronic general meeting means a general meeting held or conducted at one or more physical venues in such a way that allows persons who may not be physically present together to communicate with each other any information or opinions they may have on any particular item of business of the meeting;
Company means Just Group plc;
director means a director of the Company;
dividend means dividend or bonus;
entitled by transmission means, in relation to a share in the capital of the Company, entitled as a consequence of the death or bankruptcy of the holder or otherwise by operation of law;
holder in relation to a share in the capital of the Company means the member whose name is entered in the register as the holder of that share;
member means a member of the Company;
office means the registered office of the Company;
Ordinary Shares means the ordinary shares in the share capital of the Company;
Ordinary Shareholder means any person entered in the register of members of the Company as the holder for the time being of any Ordinary Shares;
paid means paid or credited as paid;
physical general meeting means a general meeting held or conducted at one or more physical venues (at which facilities are not available to allow for persons who are not at such physical venue to attend or participate in the meeting electronically);
recognised person means a recognised clearing house or a nominee of a recognised clearing house or of a recognised investment exchange, each of which terms has the meaning given to it by section 778 of the Act;
register means either or both of the issuer register of members and the Operator register of members of the Company;
Regulations means the Uncertificated Securities Regulations 2001 including any modification or re-enactment of them for the time being in force;
seal means the common seal of the Company and includes any official seal kept by the Company by virtue of section 49 or 50 of the Act;
secretary means the secretary of the Company and includes a joint, assistant, deputy or temporary secretary and any other person appointed to perform the duties of the secretary;
uncertificated share means (subject to Regulation 42(11)(a) of the Regulations) a share in the capital of the Company title to which is recorded on the Operator register of members of the Company and which may, by virtue of the Regulations, be transferred by means of a relevant system and references in these Articles to a share being held in uncertificated form shall be construed accordingly; and
United Kingdom means Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
- Where, in relation to a share, these Articles refer to a relevant system, the reference is to the relevant system in which that share is a participating security at the relevant time. Construction
References to a document or information being sent, supplied or given to or by a person mean such document or information, or a copy of such document or information, being sent, supplied, given, delivered, issued or made available to or by, or served on or by, or deposited with or by that person by any method authorised by these Articles, and sending, supplying and giving shall be construed accordingly.
References to writing mean the representation or reproduction of words, symbols or other information in a visible form by any method or combination of methods, whether in electronic form or otherwise, and written shall be construed accordingly.
References to a person who is attending or participating in a meeting electronically are to a person whose attendance or participation at that meeting is enabled by a facility or facilities (whether electronic or otherwise), other than physical presence at a general meeting, which allows persons who may not be physically present together to communicate with each other any information or opinions they may have on any particular item of business of the meeting; electronic attendance and participation shall be construed accordingly.
References to attendance in person include electronic attendance.
Words denoting the singular number include the plural number and vice versa; words denoting the masculine gender include the feminine gender; and words denoting persons include corporations.
Words or expressions contained in these Articles which are not defined in Article 2 but are defined in the Act have the same meaning as in the Act (but excluding any modification of the Act not in force at the date these Articles took effect) unless inconsistent with the subject or context.
Words or expressions contained in these Articles which are not defined in Article 2 but are defined in the Regulations have the same meaning as in the Regulations (but excluding any modification of the Regulations not in force at the date of adoption of these Articles) unless inconsistent with the subject or context.
Subject to the preceding two paragraphs, references to any provision of any enactment or of any subordinate legislation (as defined by section 21(1) of the Interpretation Act 1978) include any modification or re-enactment of that provision for the time being in force.
Headings and marginal notes are inserted for convenience only and do not affect the construction of these Articles.
In these Articles, (a) powers of delegation shall not be restrictively construed but the widest interpretation shall be given to them; (b) the word board in the context of the exercise of any power contained in these Articles includes any committee consisting of one or more directors, any director, any other officer of the Company and any local or divisional board, manager or agent of the Company to which or, as the case may be, to whom the power in question has been delegated; (c) no power of delegation shall be limited by the existence or, except where expressly provided by the terms of delegation, the exercise of that or any other power of delegation; and (d) except where expressly provided by the terms of delegation, the delegation of a power shall not exclude the concurrent exercise of that power by any other body or person who is for the time being authorised to exercise it under these Articles or under another delegation of the power.
SHARE CAPITAL AND LIMITED LIABILITY
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Unless the context requires otherwise, references in these Articles to shares of a particular class shall include shares created and/or issued after the date of adoption of these Articles and ranking pari passu in all respects (or in all respects except only as to the date from which those shares rank for dividend) with the shares of the relevant class then in issue. Share capital
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Each Ordinary Share entitles the holder of that Ordinary Share to receive notice of, attend, speak and vote at any general meeting of the Company. Right to attend and vote at general meetings
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[This Article has been deleted.]
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The liability of the members is limited to the amount, if any, unpaid on the shares held by them. Limited liability
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Subject to the provisions of the Companies Acts and without prejudice to any rights attached to any existing shares or class of shares, any share may be issued with such rights or restrictions as the Company may by ordinary resolution determine or, subject to and in default of such determination, as the board shall determine. Shares with special rights
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The board may issue share warrants to bearer in respect of any fully paid shares under a seal of the Company or in any other manner authorised by the board. Any share while represented by such a warrant shall be transferable by delivery of the warrant relating to it. In any case in which a warrant is so issued, the board may provide for the payment of dividends or other moneys on the shares represented by the warrant by coupons or otherwise. The board may decide, either generally or in any particular case or cases, that any signature on a warrant may be applied by electronic or mechanical means or printed on it or that the warrant need not be signed by any person. Share warrants to bearer
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The board may determine, and from time to time vary, the conditions on which share warrants to bearer shall be issued and, in particular, the conditions on which: Conditions of issue of share warrants
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(a) a new warrant or coupon shall be issued in place of one worn-out, defaced, lost or destroyed (but no new warrant shall be issued unless the Company is satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that the original has been destroyed); or
- (b) the bearer shall be entitled to attend and vote at general meetings; or
- (c) a warrant may be surrendered and the name of the bearer entered in the register in respect of the shares specified in the warrant.
The bearer of such a warrant shall be subject to the conditions for the time being in force in relation to the warrant, whether made before or after the issue of the warrant. Subject to those conditions and to the provisions of the Companies Acts, the bearer shall be deemed to be a member of the Company and shall have the same rights and privileges as the bearer would have if the bearer's name had been included in the register as the holder of the shares comprised in the warrant.
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- The Company shall not be bound by or be compelled in any way to recognise any right in respect of the share represented by a share warrant other than the bearer's absolute right to the warrant. No right in relation to share
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- Subject to the provisions of the Regulations, the board may permit the holding of shares in any class of shares in uncertificated form and the transfer of title to shares in that class by means of a relevant system and may determine that any class of shares shall cease to be a participating security. Uncertificated shares
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- Shares in the capital of the Company that fall within a certain class shall not form a separate class of shares from other shares in that class because any share in that class: Not separate class of shares
- (a) is held in uncertificated form; or
- (b) is permitted in accordance with the Regulations to become a participating security.
Exercise of Company's entitlements in respect of uncertificated share
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Where any class of shares is a participating security and the Company is entitled under any provision of the Companies Acts, the Regulations or these Articles to sell, transfer or otherwise dispose of, forfeit, re-allot, accept the surrender of, or otherwise enforce a lien over, a share held in uncertificated form, the Company shall be entitled, subject to the provisions of the Companies Acts, the Regulations, these Articles and the facilities and requirements of the relevant system:
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(a) to require the holder of that uncertificated share by notice to change that share into certificated form within the period specified in the notice and to hold that share in certificated form so long as required by the Company;
- (b) to require the holder of that uncertificated share by notice to give any instructions necessary to transfer title to that share by means of the relevant system within the period specified in the notice;
- (c) to require the holder of that uncertificated share by notice to appoint any person to take any step, including without limitation the giving of any instructions by means of the relevant system, necessary to transfer that share within the period specified in the notice;
- (d) to require the Operator to convert that uncertificated share into certificated form in accordance with Regulation 32(2)(c) of the Regulations; and
- (e) to take any action that the board considers appropriate to achieve the sale, transfer, disposal, forfeiture, re-allotment or surrender of that share, or otherwise to enforce a lien in respect of that share.
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- The board has general and unconditional authority to exercise all the powers of the Company to allot shares in the Company or to grant rights to subscribe for or to convert any security into shares in the Company up to an aggregate nominal amount equal to the section 551 amount, for each prescribed period. Section 551 authority
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- The board is empowered for each prescribed period to allot equity securities for cash pursuant to the authority conferred by Article 15 as if section 561 of the Act did not apply to any such allotment, provided that its power shall be limited to: Section 561 disapplication
- (a) the allotment of equity securities in connection with a pre-emptive issue; and
- (b) the allotment (otherwise than pursuant to Article 16(a)) of equity securities up to an aggregate nominal amount equal to the section 561 amount.
This Article applies in relation to a sale of shares which is an allotment of equity securities by virtue of section 560(3) of the Act as if in this Article the words "pursuant to the authority conferred by Article 15" were omitted.
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- The Company may make an offer or agreement which would or might require shares to be allotted, or rights to subscribe for or convert any security into shares to be granted, after an authority given pursuant to Article 15 or a power given pursuant to Article 16 has expired. The board may allot shares, or grant rights to subscribe for or convert any security into shares, in pursuance of that offer or agreement as if the authority or power pursuant to which that offer or agreement was made had not expired. Allotment after expiry
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- In this Article and Articles 15, 16 and 17: Definitions
prescribed period means any period for which the authority conferred by Article 15 is given by ordinary or special resolution stating the section 551 amount and/or the power conferred by Article 16 is given by special resolution stating the section 561 amount;
pre-emptive issue means an offer of equity securities to ordinary shareholders or an invitation to ordinary shareholders to apply to subscribe for equity securities and, if in accordance with their rights the board so determines, holders of other equity securities of any class (whether by way of rights issue, open offer or otherwise) where the equity securities respectively attributable to the interests of ordinary shareholders or holders of other equity securities, if applicable, are proportionate (as nearly as practicable) to the respective numbers of ordinary shares or other equity securities, as the case may be, held by them, but subject to such exclusions or other arrangements as the board may deem necessary or expedient in relation to fractional entitlements or any legal, regulatory or practical problems under the laws or regulations of any territory or the requirements of any regulatory body or stock exchange;
section 551 amount means, for any prescribed period, the amount stated as such in the relevant ordinary or special resolution; and
section 561 amount means, for any prescribed period, the amount stated as such in the relevant special resolution.
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- Subject to the provisions of the Companies Acts relating to authority, preemption rights or otherwise and of any resolution of the Company in general meeting passed pursuant to those provisions, and, in the case of redeemable shares, the provisions of Article 20: Residual allotment
- (a) all shares for the time being in the capital of the Company shall be at the disposal of the board; and
- (b) the board may reclassify, allot (with or without conferring a right of renunciation), grant options over, or otherwise dispose of them to such persons on such terms and conditions and at such times as it thinks fit.
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- Subject to the provisions of the Companies Acts, and without prejudice to any rights attached to any existing shares or class of shares, shares may be issued which are to be redeemed or are to be liable to be redeemed at the option of the Company or the holder. The board may determine the terms, conditions and manner of redemption of shares provided that it does so before the shares are allotted. Redeemable shares
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- The Company may exercise all powers of paying commissions or brokerage conferred or permitted by the Companies Acts. Subject to the provisions of the Companies Acts, any such commission or brokerage may be satisfied by the payment of cash or by the allotment of fully or partly paid shares or partly in one way and partly in the other. Commissions
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- Except as required by law, the Company shall recognise no person as holding any share on any trust and (except as otherwise provided by these Articles or by law) the Company shall not be bound by or recognise any interest in any share (or in any fractional part of a share) except the holder's absolute right to the entirety of the share (or fractional part of the share). Trusts not recognised
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- [This Article has been deleted.]
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- [This Article has been deleted.]
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- [This Article has been deleted.]
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- [This Article has been deleted.]
powers
VARIATION OF RIGHTS
Method of varying rights
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Subject to the provisions of the Companies Acts, if at any time the capital of the Company is divided into different classes of shares, the rights attached to any class may (unless otherwise provided by the terms of allotment of the shares of that class) be varied or abrogated, whether or not the Company is being wound up, either:
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(a) with the written consent of the holders of three-quarters in nominal value of the issued shares of the class (excluding any shares of that class held as treasury shares), which consent shall be in hard copy form or in electronic form sent to such address (if any) for the time being specified by or on behalf of the Company for that purpose, or in default of such specification to the office, and may consist of several documents, each executed or authenticated in such manner as the board may approve by or on behalf of one or more holders, or a combination of both; or
- (b) with the sanction of a special resolution passed at a separate general meeting of the holders of the shares of the class,
but not otherwise.
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- For the purposes of Article 28, if at any time the capital of the Company is divided into different classes of shares, unless otherwise expressly provided by the rights attached to any share or class of shares, those rights shall be deemed to be varied by: When rights deemed to be varied
- (a) the reduction of the capital paid up on that share or class of shares otherwise than by a purchase or redemption by the Company of its own shares; and
- (b) the allotment of another share ranking in priority for payment of a dividend or in respect of capital or which confers on its holder voting rights more favourable than those conferred by that share or class of shares,
but shall not be deemed to be varied by:
- (c) the creation or issue of another share ranking equally with, or subsequent to, that share or class of shares or by the purchase or redemption by the Company of its own shares; or
- (d) the Company permitting, in accordance with the Regulations, the holding of and transfer of title to shares of that or any other class in uncertificated form by means of a relevant system.
SHARE CERTIFICATES
- Every member, on becoming the holder of any certificated share (except a recognised person in respect of whom the Company is not required by law to complete and have ready for delivery a certificate) shall be entitled, without payment, Members' rights to certificates
to one certificate for all the certificated shares of each class held by that member (and, on transferring a part of that member's holding of certificated shares of any class, to a certificate for the balance of that member's holding of certificated shares). That member may elect to receive one or more additional certificates for any of that member's certificated shares if that member pays a reasonable sum determined from time to time by the board for every certificate after the first. Every certificate shall:
- (a) be executed under the seal or otherwise in accordance with Article 179 or in such other manner as the board may approve; and
- (b) specify the number, class and distinguishing numbers (if any) of the shares to which it relates and the amount or respective amounts paid up on the shares.
The Company shall not be bound to issue more than one certificate for certificated shares held jointly by more than one person and delivery of a certificate to one joint holder shall be a sufficient delivery to all of them. Shares of different classes may not be included in the same certificate.
- If a share certificate is defaced, worn out, lost or destroyed, it may be renewed on such terms (if any) as to evidence and indemnity and payment of any exceptional out-of-pocket expenses reasonably incurred by the Company in investigating evidence and preparing the requisite form of indemnity as the board may determine but otherwise free of charge, and (in the case of defacement or wearing out) on delivery up of the old certificate. Replacement certificates
LIEN
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- The Company shall have a first and paramount lien on every share (not being a fully paid share) for all moneys payable to the Company (whether presently or not) in respect of that share. The board may at any time (generally or in a particular case) waive any lien or declare any share to be wholly or in part exempt from the provisions of this Article. The Company's lien on a share shall extend to any amount (including without limitation dividends) payable in respect of it. Company to have lien on shares
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- The Company may sell, in such manner as the board determines, any share on which the Company has a lien if a sum in respect of which the lien exists is presently payable and is not paid within 14 clear days after notice has been sent to the holder of the share, or to the person entitled to it by transmission, demanding payment and stating that if the notice is not complied with the share may be sold. Enforcement of lien by sale
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- To give effect to that sale the board may, if the share is a certificated share, authorise any person to execute an instrument of transfer in respect of the share sold to, or in accordance with the directions of, the buyer. If the share is an uncertificated share, the board may exercise any of the Company's powers under Article 14 to effect the sale of the share to, or in accordance with the directions of, the buyer. The buyer shall not be bound to see to the application of the purchase money and the buyer's title to the share shall not be affected by any irregularity in or invalidity of the proceedings in relation to the sale. Giving effect to sale
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The net proceeds of the sale, after payment of the costs, shall be applied in or towards payment or satisfaction of so much of the sum in respect of which the lien exists as is presently payable. Any residue shall (if the share sold is a certificated share, on surrender to the Company for cancellation of the certificate in respect of the share sold and, whether the share sold is a certificated or uncertificated share, subject to a like lien for any moneys not presently payable as existed on the share before the sale) be paid to the person entitled to the share at the date of the sale. Application of proceeds
CALLS ON SHARES
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- Subject to the terms of allotment, the board may from time to time make calls on the members in respect of any moneys unpaid on their shares (whether in respect of nominal value or premium). Each member shall (subject to receiving at least 14 clear days' notice specifying when and where payment is to be made) pay to the Company the amount called on that member's shares as required by the notice. A call may be required to be paid by instalments. A call may be revoked in whole or part and the time fixed for payment of a call may be postponed in whole or part as the board may determine. A person on whom a call is made shall remain liable for calls made on that person even if the shares in respect of which the call was made are subsequently transferred. Power to make calls
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- A call shall be deemed to have been made at the time when the resolution of the board authorising the call was passed. Time when call made
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- The joint holders of a share shall be jointly and severally liable to pay all calls in respect of it. Liability of joint holders
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- If a call or any instalment of a call remains unpaid in whole or in part after it has become due and payable the person from whom it is due and payable shall pay interest on the amount unpaid from the day it became due and payable until it is paid. Interest shall be paid at the rate fixed by the terms of allotment of the share or in the notice of the call or, if no rate is fixed, the rate determined by the board, not exceeding 15 per cent. per annum, or, if higher, the appropriate rate (as defined in the Act), but the board may in respect of any individual member waive payment of such interest wholly or in part. Interest payable
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- An amount payable in respect of a share on allotment or at any fixed date, whether in respect of nominal value or premium or as an instalment of a call, shall be deemed to be a call duly made and notified and payable on the date so fixed or in accordance with the terms of the allotment. If it is not paid the provisions of these Articles shall apply as if that amount had become due and payable by virtue of a call duly made and notified. Deemed calls
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- Subject to the terms of allotment, the board may make arrangements on the issue of shares for a difference between the allottees or holders in the amounts and times of payment of calls on their shares. Differentiation on calls
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- The board may, if it thinks fit, receive from any member all or any part of the moneys uncalled and unpaid on any share held by that member. Such payment in advance of calls shall extinguish the liability on the share in respect of which it is Payment of calls in advance
made to the extent of the payment. The Company may pay on all or any of the moneys so advanced (until they would but for such advance become presently payable) interest at such rate agreed between the board and the member not exceeding (unless the Company by ordinary resolution otherwise directs) 15 per cent. per annum or, if higher, the appropriate rate (as defined in the Act).
FORFEITURE AND SURRENDER
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If a call or any instalment of a call remains unpaid in whole or in part after it has become due and payable, the board may give the person from whom it is due not less than 14 clear days' notice requiring payment of the amount unpaid together with any interest which may have accrued and any costs, charges and expenses incurred by the Company by reason of such non-payment. The notice shall name the place where payment is to be made and shall state that if the notice is not complied with the shares in respect of which the call was made will be liable to be forfeited. Notice requiring payment of call
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- If that notice is not complied with, any share in respect of which it was sent may, at any time before the payment required by the notice has been made, be forfeited by a resolution of the board. The forfeiture shall include all dividends or other moneys payable in respect of the forfeited share which have not been paid before the forfeiture. When a share has been forfeited, notice of the forfeiture shall be sent to the person who was the holder of the share before the forfeiture. Where the forfeited share is held in certificated form, an entry shall be made promptly in the register opposite the entry of the share showing that notice has been sent, that the share has been forfeited and the date of forfeiture. No forfeiture shall be invalidated by the omission or neglect to send that notice or to make those entries. Forfeiture for non-compliance
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- Subject to the provisions of the Companies Acts, a forfeited share shall be deemed to belong to the Company and may be sold, re-allotted or otherwise disposed of on such terms and in such manner as the board determines, either to the person who was the holder before the forfeiture or to any other person. At any time before sale, re-allotment or other disposal, the forfeiture may be cancelled on such terms as the board thinks fit. Where for the purposes of its disposal a forfeited share held in certificated form is to be transferred to any person, the board may authorise any person to execute an instrument of transfer of the share to that person. Where for the purposes of its disposal a forfeited share held in uncertificated form is to be transferred to any person, the board may exercise any of the Company's powers under Article 14. The Company may receive the consideration given for the share on its disposal and may register the transferee as holder of the share. Sale of forfeited shares
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A person shall cease to be a member in respect of any share which has been forfeited and shall, if the share is a certificated share, surrender the certificate for any forfeited share to the Company for cancellation. The person shall remain liable to the Company for all moneys which at the date of forfeiture were presently payable by that person to the Company in respect of that share with interest on that amount at the rate at which interest was payable on those moneys before the forfeiture or, if no interest was so payable, at the rate determined by the board, not exceeding 15 per cent. per annum or, if higher, the appropriate rate (as defined in the Act), from the date of forfeiture until payment. The board may waive payment wholly or in part or enforce Liability following forfeiture
payment without any allowance for the value of the share at the time of forfeiture or for any consideration received on its disposal.
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- The board may accept the surrender of any share which it is in a position to forfeit on such terms and conditions as may be agreed. Subject to those terms and conditions, a surrendered share shall be treated as if it had been forfeited. Surrender
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- The forfeiture of a share shall involve the extinction at the time of forfeiture of all interest in and all claims and demands against the Company in respect of the share and all other rights and liabilities incidental to the share as between the person whose share is forfeited and the Company, except only those rights and liabilities expressly saved by these Articles, or as are given or imposed in the case of past members by the Companies Acts. Extinction of rights
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- A statutory declaration by a director or the secretary that a share has been duly forfeited or surrendered on a specified date shall be conclusive evidence of the facts stated in it as against all persons claiming to be entitled to the share. The declaration shall (subject if necessary to the execution of an instrument of transfer or transfer by means of the relevant system, as the case may be) constitute a good title to the share. The person to whom the share is disposed of shall not be bound to see to the application of the purchase money, if any, and that person's title to the share shall not be affected by any irregularity in, or invalidity of, the proceedings in reference to the forfeiture, surrender, sale, re-allotment or disposal of the share. Evidence of forfeiture or surrender
TRANSFER OF SHARES
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Without prejudice to any power of the Company to register as shareholder a person to whom the right to any share has been transmitted by operation of law, the instrument of transfer of a certificated share may be in any usual form or in any other form which the board may approve. An instrument of transfer shall be signed by or on behalf of the transferor and, unless the share is fully paid, by or on behalf of the transferee. An instrument of transfer need not be under seal. Form and execution of transfer of certificated
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The board may, in its absolute discretion, refuse to register the transfer of a certificated share which is not fully paid, provided that the refusal does not prevent dealings in shares in the Company from taking place on an open and proper basis. Transfers of partly paid certificated
Invalid transfers of certificated shares
share
shares
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The board may also refuse to register the transfer of a certificated share unless the instrument of transfer:
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(a) is lodged, duly stamped (if stampable), at the office or at another place appointed by the board accompanied by the certificate for the share to which it relates and such other evidence as the board may reasonably require to show the right of the transferor to make the transfer;
- (b) is in respect of only one class of shares; and
- (c) is in favour of not more than four transferees.
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- In the case of a transfer of a certificated share by a recognised person, the lodging of a share certificate will only be necessary if and to the extent that a certificate has been issued in respect of the share in question. Transfers by recognised persons
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- If the board refuses to register a transfer of a share in certificated form, it shall send the transferee notice of its refusal within two months after the date on which the instrument of transfer was lodged with the Company. Notice of refusal to register
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- No fee shall be charged for the registration of any instrument of transfer or other document relating to or affecting the title to a share. No fee payable on registration
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- The Company shall be entitled to retain an instrument of transfer which is registered, but an instrument of transfer which the board refuses to register shall be returned to the person lodging it when notice of the refusal is sent. Retention of transfers
TRANSMISSION OF SHARES
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- If a member dies, the survivor or survivors where that member was a joint holder, and that member's personal representatives where that member was a sole holder or the only survivor of joint holders, shall be the only persons recognised by the Company as having any title to that member's interest. Nothing in these Articles shall release the estate of a deceased member (whether a sole or joint holder) from any liability in respect of any share held by that member. Transmission
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- A person becoming entitled by transmission to a share may, on production of any evidence as to that person's entitlement properly required by the board, elect either to become the holder of the share or to nominate another person to be registered as the transferee. If the person entitled by transmission elects to become the holder that person shall send notice to the Company to that effect. If the person entitled by transmission elects to have another person registered and the share is a certificated share, the person entitled by transmission shall execute an instrument of transfer of the share to that other person. If the person entitled by transmission elects to be personally registered or have another person registered and the share is an uncertificated share, the person entitled by transmission shall take any action the board may require (including without limitation the execution of any document and the giving of any instruction by means of a relevant system) to enable the person entitled by transmission or the other person to be registered as the holder of the share. All the provisions of these Articles relating to the transfer of shares apply to that notice or instrument of transfer as if it were an instrument of transfer executed by the member and the death or bankruptcy of the member or other event giving rise to the transmission had not occurred. Elections permitted
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- The board may at any time send a notice requiring any such person to elect either to be registered personally or to transfer the share. If the notice is not complied with within 60 days, the board may after the expiry of that period withhold payment of all dividends or other moneys payable in respect of the share until the requirements of the notice have been complied with. Elections required
Rights of persons entitled by transmission 60. A person becoming entitled by transmission to a share shall, on production of any evidence as to that person's entitlement properly required by the board and subject to the requirements of Article 58, have the same rights in relation to the share as that person would have had if that person were the holder of the share, subject to Article 189. That person may give a discharge for all dividends and other moneys payable in respect of the share, but that person shall not, before being registered as the holder of the share, be entitled in respect of it to receive notice of, or to attend or vote at, any meeting of the Company or to receive notice of, or to attend or vote at, any separate meeting of the holders of any class of shares in the capital of the Company.
ALTERATION OF SHARE CAPITAL
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- All shares created by increase of the Company's share capital, by consolidation, division or sub-division of its share capital or the conversion of stock into paid-up shares shall be subject to all the provisions of these Articles, including without limitation provisions relating to payment of calls, lien, forfeiture, transfer and transmission. New shares subject to these Articles
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- Whenever any fractions arise as a result of a consolidation or sub-division of shares, the board may on behalf of the members deal with the fractions as it thinks fit. In particular, without limitation, the board may sell shares representing fractions to which any members would otherwise become entitled to any person (including, subject to the provisions of the Companies Acts, the Company) and distribute the net proceeds of sale in due proportion among those members. Where the shares to be sold are held in certificated form the board may authorise some person to execute an instrument of transfer of the shares to, or in accordance with the directions of, the buyer. Where the shares to be sold are held in uncertificated form, the board may do all acts and things it considers necessary or expedient to effect the transfer of the shares to, or in accordance with the directions of, the buyer. The buyer shall not be bound to see to the application of the purchase moneys and the buyer's title to the shares shall not be affected by any irregularity in, or invalidity of, the proceedings in relation to the sale. Fractions arising
GENERAL MEETINGS
-
The board shall convene and the Company shall hold general meetings as annual general meetings in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Acts. Annual general meetings
-
- All provisions of these Articles relating to general meetings of the Company shall, mutatis mutandis, apply to every separate general meeting of the holders of any class of shares in the capital of the Company, except that: Class meetings
- (a) the necessary quorum shall be two persons holding or representing by proxy at least one-third in nominal value of the issued shares of the class (excluding any shares of that class held as treasury shares) or, at any adjourned meeting of such holders, one holder present in person or by proxy, whatever the amount of that holder's holding, who shall be deemed to constitute a meeting;
- (b) any holder of shares of the class present in person or by proxy may demand a poll; and
(c) each holder of shares of the class shall, on a poll, have one vote in respect of every share of the class held by that holder.
For the purposes of this Article, where a person is present by proxy or proxies, that person is treated only as holding the shares in respect of which those proxies are authorised to exercise voting rights.
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The board may call general meetings whenever and at such times and places as it shall determine. On the requisition of members pursuant to the provisions of the Companies Acts, the board shall promptly convene a general meeting in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Acts. If there are insufficient directors in the United Kingdom to call a general meeting any director of the Company may call a general meeting, but where no director is willing or able to do so, any two members of the Company may summon a meeting for the purpose of appointing one or more directors. Arrangements for general meetings
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65A. (a) The board shall determine whether any general meeting is to be held as:
- (i) a physical general meeting; or
- (ii) a combined physical and electronic general meeting.
- (b) The board may make whatever arrangements it considers fit to allow those entitled to do so to participate in any general meeting.
- (c) Unless otherwise specified in the notice of meeting; decided by the board in accordance with Article 71(a)(ii); or determined by the chair of the meeting either pursuant to Article 71(a)(iii) or otherwise, a general meeting is deemed to take place at the place where the chair of the meeting is at the time of the meeting.
- (d) Two or more persons who may not be in the same place as each other attend a general meeting if their circumstances are such that if they have rights to speak and vote at that meeting, they are able to exercise them.
- (e) A person is present at a general meeting if the person attends it in accordance with the provisions of these Articles.
- (f) A person is able to participate in a meeting if the person's circumstances are such that if the person has rights in relation to the meeting, the person is able to exercise them.
- (g) In determining whether persons are attending or participating in a meeting, other than a physical general meeting, it is immaterial where any of them are or how they are able to communicate with each other.
- (h) A person is able to exercise the right to speak at a general meeting when the chair of the meeting is satisfied that arrangements are in place so as to enable that person to communicate to all those attending the meeting, during the
meeting, any information or opinions which that person has on the business of the meeting.
- (i) A person is able to exercise the right to vote at a general meeting when:
- (i) that person is able to vote, during the meeting, on resolutions put to the vote at the meeting; and
- (ii) that person's vote can be taken into account in determining whether or not such resolutions are passed at the same time as the votes of all the other persons attending the meeting.
- (j) All persons seeking to attend or participate in a general meeting electronically shall be responsible for maintaining adequate facilities to enable them to do so. Any inability of a person or persons to attend or participate in a general meeting electronically shall not invalidate the proceedings of that meeting.
NOTICE OF GENERAL MEETINGS
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- An annual general meeting shall be called by at least 21 clear days' notice. Subject to the provisions of the Companies Acts, all other general meetings may be called by at least 14 clear days' notice. Period of notice
-
- Subject to the provisions of the Companies Acts, to the provisions of these Articles and to any restrictions imposed on any shares, the notice shall be sent to every member and every director. The auditors are entitled to receive all notices of, and other communications relating to, any general meeting which any member is entitled to receive. Recipients of notice
-
- The notice (including any notice given by means of a website) shall comply with all applicable requirements of the Companies Acts. Contents of notice: general
-
In the case of an annual general meeting, the notice shall specify the meeting as such. In the case of a meeting to pass a special resolution, the notice shall specify the intention to propose the resolution as a special resolution. Contents of notice: additional requirements
69A. Without prejudice to the provisions of Article 71(a), if it is anticipated that a meeting will be conducted as a combined physical and electronic general meeting, the notice of meeting shall state how it is proposed that persons attending or participating in the meeting electronically should communicate with the meeting.
Article 73 arrangements 70. The notice shall include details of any additional arrangements made for the purpose of Article 73 (making clear that participation in those arrangements will not amount to attendance at the meeting to which the notice relates).
General meetings at more than one place or in more than one format
-
- (a) A general meeting may be held at more than one place, or may be participated in in more than one way, if:
- (i) the notice convening the meeting so specifies; or
- (ii) the board resolves, after the notice convening the meeting has been given, that:
- (A) the meeting shall be held at one or more than one place in addition to any place or places specified in the notice; or
- (B) arrangements will also be made for attendance and participation electronically; or
- (iii) it appears to the chair of the meeting that the place of the meeting specified in the notice convening the meeting is inadequate to accommodate all persons entitled and wishing to attend at that place.
- (b) A general meeting held at more than one place or participated in in more than one way in accordance with paragraph (a) above, is duly constituted and its proceedings are valid if (in addition to the other provisions of these articles relating to general meetings being satisfied) the chair of the meeting is satisfied that facilities (whether electronic or otherwise) are available to enable each person present at each place and/or attending or participating in it electronically to participate in the business of the meeting.
- (c) Each person who is present at any place of the meeting or who is attending it electronically, and who would be entitled to count towards the quorum in accordance with the provisions of Article 79 shall be counted in the quorum for, and shall be entitled to vote at, the meeting.
Interruption or adjournment where facilities inadequate
- If it appears to the chair of the general meeting that the facilities (whether electronic or otherwise, and whether affecting the place (or more than one place) of the meeting or any electronic participation arrangements) are not sufficient to allow the meeting to be conducted substantially in accordance with the provisions set out in the notice of meeting, then the chair may, without the consent of the meeting (and whether or not it has commenced or a quorum is present), interrupt or adjourn the general meeting. All business conducted at that general meeting up to the time of that adjournment shall, subject to Article 83(e), be valid. The provisions of Article 84 shall apply to that adjournment.
Additional arrangements for hearing and viewing proceedings
- The board at any time may (but shall not be obliged to) make additional arrangements for persons entitled to attend a general meeting or an adjourned general meeting to be able to hear and, if the board so decides, to view the proceedings of the general meeting or adjourned general meeting and, if the board so decides, to communicate with the meeting (whether by the use of microphones, loudspeakers, audio-visual communications equipment or any other communication method) by electronic means or by attending at a venue anywhere in the world (not being a meeting place). Those joining the general meeting electronically or at such a venue using such additional arrangements shall not be regarded as present at the general meeting or adjourned general meeting and shall not be entitled to cast their vote during the meeting. The inability for any reason of anyone using such additional arrangements to hear or view all or any of the proceedings of the meeting or to communicate with the meeting shall not in any way affect the validity of the proceedings of the meeting.
Controlling numbers of people accessing Article 73 arrangements
Change in place and/or any electronic facilities and/or time of meeting
-
The board may from time to time make any arrangements for controlling the number of people accessing arrangements which have been made pursuant to Article 73 (including without limitation the issue of tickets or the imposition of some other means of selection) it in its absolute discretion considers appropriate, and may from time to time change those arrangements.
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If, after the sending of notice of a general meeting but before the meeting is held, or after the adjournment of a general meeting but before the adjourned meeting is held (whether or not notice of the adjourned meeting is required), the board, in its discretion, decides that it is impracticable or unreasonable to hold the meeting at the place(s) and/or with the electronic facilities and/or at the time specified in the notice, it may change the place(s) of the meeting and/or change, cancel or introduce any electronic facilities for the meeting and/or postpone the time at which the meeting is to be held. If such a decision is made, the board may then change the place(s) of the meeting and/or change, cancel or introduce any electronic facilities for the meeting and/or postpone the time again if it decides that it is reasonable to do so. In either case:
-
(a) no new notice of the meeting need be sent, but the board shall, if practicable, publish information on the date, time and place(s) of the meeting and of any electronic facilities for the meeting on the Company's website and by means of a regulatory information service, and the board shall take reasonable steps to ensure that information on the date, time and places(s) of the meeting and any electronic facilities for the meeting are provided to any member trying to attend the meeting at the original time and place or using the original electronic facilities (if any); and
- (b) a proxy appointment in relation to the meeting may, if by means of a document in hard copy form, be delivered to the office or to such other place within the United Kingdom as may be specified by or on behalf of the Company in accordance with Article 111(a) or, if in electronic form, be received at the address (if any) specified by or on behalf of the Company in accordance with Article 111(b), at any time not less than 48 hours before the postponed time appointed for holding the meeting provided that the board may specify, in any case, that in calculating the period of 48 hours, no account shall be taken of any part of a day that is not a working day.
-
- [This Article has been deleted.]
Accidental omission to send notice etc.
-
The accidental omission to send a notice of a meeting or resolution, or to send any notification where required by the Companies Acts or these Articles in relation to the publication of a notice of meeting on a website, or to send a form of proxy where required by the Companies Acts or these Articles, to any person entitled to receive it, or the non-receipt for any reason of any such notice, resolution or notification or form of proxy by that person, whether or not the Company is aware of such omission or non-receipt, shall not invalidate the proceedings at that meeting. This Article applies to confirmatory copies of notices (and confirmatory notifications of website notices) of meetings sent pursuant to Article 216 in the same way as it applies to notices of meetings.
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The board and, at any general meeting, the chair may make any physical or electronic arrangements and impose any requirements or restrictions relating to security, health or safety it or the chair considers appropriate relating to the holding of a general meeting including, without limitation, requirements for evidence of identity to be produced by those attending the meeting, the searching of their personal property and the restriction of items that may be taken into the meeting place. The board and, at any general meeting, the chair are entitled to refuse physical or electronic entry to a person who refuses to comply with these arrangements, requirements or restrictions and may physically or electronically eject from a meeting any person who causes the proceedings to become disorderly. Health, safety and security
PROCEEDINGS AT GENERAL MEETINGS
-
- No business shall be dealt with at any general meeting unless a quorum is present, but the absence of a quorum shall not preclude the choice or appointment of a chair, which shall not be treated as part of the business of the meeting. Save as otherwise provided by these Articles, two qualifying persons present at a meeting and entitled to vote on the business to be dealt with are a quorum, unless: Quorum
- (a) each is a qualifying person only because that person is authorised under the Companies Acts to act as a representative of a corporation in relation to the meeting, and they are representatives of the same corporation; or
- (b) each is a qualifying person only because that person is appointed as proxy of a member in relation to the meeting, and they are proxies of the same member.
For the purposes of this Article a "qualifying person" means (i) an individual who is a member of the Company, (ii) a person authorised under the Companies Acts to act as a representative of the corporation in relation to the meeting, or (iii) a person appointed as proxy of a member in relation to the meeting.
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- If such a quorum is not present within five minutes (or such longer time not exceeding 30 minutes as the chair of the meeting may decide to wait) from the time appointed for the meeting, or if during a meeting such a quorum ceases to be present, the meeting, if convened on the requisition of members, shall be dissolved, and in any other case shall stand adjourned to such time and place (and, if appropriate, with similar or equivalent facilities for electronic attendance and participation) as the chair of the meeting may, subject to the provisions of the Companies Acts, determine. The adjourned meeting shall be dissolved if a quorum is not present within 15 minutes after the time appointed for holding the meeting. If quorum not present
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- (a) The chair, if any, of the board or, in the chair's absence, any deputy chair of the Company or, in the deputy chair's absence, some other director nominated by the board, shall preside as chair of the meeting. If neither the chair, deputy chair nor such other director (if any) is present within five minutes after the time appointed for holding the meeting or is not willing to act as chair, the directors present shall elect one of their number to be chair. If there is only one director present and willing to act, that director shall be chair. If no director is willing to act as chair, or if no director is present within five minutes after the time appointed for holding the meeting, the members present Chair
in person or by proxy and entitled to vote shall choose a member or a proxy of a member or a person authorised to act as a representative of a corporation in relation to the meeting to be chair.
- (b) Subject to the Companies Acts (and without prejudice to any other powers vested in the chair of a meeting) when conducting a general meeting, the chair of the meeting may make whatever arrangements and take whatever actions as the chair considers, in the chair's sole discretion, to be appropriate or conducive to the facilitation of the conduct of the business of the meeting, proportionate discussion on any item of business of the meeting, or the maintenance of good order.
- (c) If the chair of a general meeting is participating in that meeting electronically and becomes disconnected from the meeting, another person (determined in accordance with the provisions of paragraph (a) above) shall preside as chair of the meeting unless and until the original chair regains electronic connection with the meeting. In the event that no replacement chair is presiding over the general meeting (and the original chair has not regained electronic connection with the meeting) 20 minutes after the original chair became disconnected from the meeting, the meeting shall be adjourned to a time and place (and, if appropriate, facilities for electronic attendance and participation) to be fixed by the board.
82. A director shall, notwithstanding that the director is not a member, be entitled to attend and speak at any general meeting and at any separate meeting of the holders of any class of shares in the capital of the Company. Directors entitled to speak
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- (a) The chair may, with the consent of a meeting at which a quorum is present (and shall if so directed by the meeting), adjourn the meeting from time to time and from place (and, if appropriate, facilities for electronic attendance and participation) to place (and, if appropriate, facilities for electronic attendance and participation). Adjournment: chair's powers
- (b) In addition (and without prejudice to the chair's power to adjourn a meeting conferred by Article 72), the chair may without the consent of the meeting (and whether or not the meeting has commenced or a quorum is present) adjourn the meeting to another time and place (and, if the chair considers it appropriate, facilities for electronic attendance and participation) if it appears to the chair that:
- (i) it is likely to be impracticable to hold or continue that meeting because of the number of members wishing to attend who are not present; or
- (ii) the unruly conduct of persons attending the meeting prevents or is likely to prevent the orderly continuation of the business of the meeting; or
- (iii) it would facilitate the conduct of the business of the meeting to do so.
- (c) Nothing in this Article or in Article 72 shall limit any other power vested in the chair of the meeting to adjourn the meeting.
- (d) All business conducted at a general meeting up to the time of any adjournment shall, subject to paragraph (e) below, be valid.
- (e) The chair of the meeting may specify that only the business conducted at a general meeting up to a point in time which is earlier than the time of adjournment is valid if, in the chair's opinion, to do so would be more appropriate.
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- Any such adjournment may, subject to the provisions of the Companies Acts, be for such time and to such other place(s) and, if the chair considers it appropriate, facilities for electronic attendance and participation as the chair may, in the chair's absolute discretion determine, notwithstanding that by reason of such adjournment some members may be unable to be present at the adjourned meeting. Any such member may nevertheless appoint a proxy for the adjourned meeting either in accordance with Article 111 or by means of a document in hard copy form (or any other form authorised by the chair in the chair's absolute discretion) which, if delivered at the meeting which is adjourned to the chair or the secretary or any director, shall be valid even though it is given at less notice than would otherwise be required by Article 111(a). When a meeting is adjourned for 30 days or more or for an indefinite period, notice shall be sent at least seven clear days before the date of the adjourned meeting specifying the time and place(s) and, if appropriate, facilities for electronic attendance and participation of the adjourned meeting and the general nature of the business to be transacted. Otherwise it shall not be necessary to send any notice of an adjournment or of the business to be dealt with at an adjourned meeting. No business shall be transacted at any adjourned meeting other than the business which might have been transacted at the meeting from which the adjournment took place. Adjournment: procedures
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- If an amendment is proposed to any resolution under consideration but is in good faith ruled out of order by the chair, the proceedings on the substantive resolution shall not be invalidated by any error in such ruling. With the consent of the chair, an amendment may be withdrawn by its proposer before it is voted on. No amendment to a resolution duly proposed as a special resolution may be considered or voted on (other than a mere clerical amendment to correct a patent error). No amendment to a resolution duly proposed as an ordinary resolution may be considered or voted on (other than a mere clerical amendment to correct a patent error) unless either: Amendments to resolutions
- (a) at least 48 hours before the time appointed for holding the meeting or adjourned meeting at which the ordinary resolution is to be considered (which, if the board so specifies, shall be calculated taking no account of any part of a day that is not a working day), notice of the terms of the amendment and the intention to move it has been delivered in hard copy form to the office or to such other place as may be specified by or on behalf of the Company for that purpose, or received in electronic form at such address (if any) for the time being specified by or on behalf of the Company for that purpose, or
(b) the chair in the chair's absolute discretion decides that the amendment may be considered and voted on.
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A resolution put to the vote of a general meeting which is held as a physical general meeting shall be decided on a show of hands unless before, or on the declaration of the result of, a vote on the show of hands, or on the withdrawal of any other demand for a poll, a poll is duly demanded. Subject to the provisions of the Companies Acts, a poll may be demanded by: Methods of voting - physical general meeting
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(a) the chair of the meeting; or
- (b) (except on the election of the chair of the meeting or on a question of adjournment) at least five members present in person or by proxy having the right to vote on the resolution; or
- (c) any member or members present in person or by proxy representing not less than 10% of the total voting rights of all the members having the right to vote on the resolution (excluding any voting rights attached to any shares held as treasury shares); or
- (d) any member or members present in person or by proxy holding shares conferring a right to vote on the resolution, being shares on which an aggregate sum has been paid up equal to not less than 10% of the total sum paid up on all the shares conferring that right (excluding any shares conferring a right to vote on the resolution which are held as treasury shares).
The appointment of a proxy to vote on a matter at a meeting authorises the proxy to demand, or join in demanding, a poll on that matter. In applying the provisions of this Article, a demand by a proxy counts (i) for the purposes of paragraph (b) of this Article, as a demand by the member, (ii) for the purposes of paragraph (c) of this Article, as a demand by a member representing the voting rights that the proxy is authorised to exercise, and (iii) for the purposes of paragraph (d) of this Article, as a demand by a member holding the shares to which those rights are attached.
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- Unless a poll is duly demanded (and the demand is not withdrawn before the poll is taken) a declaration by the chair that a resolution has been carried or carried unanimously, or by a particular majority, or lost, or not carried by a particular majority shall be conclusive evidence of the fact without proof of the number or proportion of the votes recorded in favour of or against the resolution. Declaration of result
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- The demand for a poll at a physical general meeting may be withdrawn before the poll is taken, but only with the consent of the chair. A demand so withdrawn shall not be taken to have invalidated the result of a show of hands declared before the demand was made. If the demand for a poll is withdrawn, the chair or any other member entitled may demand a poll. Withdrawal of demand for poll
Method of voting: combined physical and electronic general meeting 88A. At a general meeting which is held as a combined physical and electronic general meeting:
- (a) a resolution put to the vote of the meeting shall be decided on a poll, and any such poll will be deemed to have been validly demanded at the time fixed for holding the meeting to which it relates;
- (b) any demand for a poll which is deemed to have been made in accordance with paragraph (a) above may not be withdrawn;
- (c) no poll may be demanded on the appointment of a chair of the meeting.
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- Subject to Article 90, a poll shall be taken as the chair directs and the chair may, and shall if required by the meeting, appoint scrutineers (who need not be members) and fix a time and place for declaring the result of the poll. The result of the poll shall be deemed to be the resolution of the meeting at which the poll was demanded. Conduct of poll
-
- A poll demanded on the election of a chair or on a question of adjournment (in each case to the extent permitted by these Articles) shall be taken immediately. A poll demanded on any other question shall be taken either at the meeting or at such time and place and in such manner (including electronically) as the chair directs not being more than 30 days after the poll is demanded. The demand for a poll shall not prevent the continuance of a meeting for the transaction of any business other than the question on which the poll was demanded. If a poll is demanded before the declaration of the result of a show of hands taken at a physical general meeting and the demand is duly withdrawn, the meeting shall continue as if the demand had not been made. When poll to be taken
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- No notice need be sent of a poll not taken at the meeting at which it is demanded if the time and place at which it is to be taken are announced at the meeting. In any other case notice shall be sent at least seven clear days before the taking of the poll specifying the time and place at which the poll is to be taken. Notice of poll
-
- Where for any purpose an ordinary resolution of the Company is required, a special resolution shall also be effective. Effectiveness of special resolutions
VOTES OF MEMBERS
-
- Subject to any rights or restrictions attached to any shares, on a vote on a resolution on a show of hands at a general meeting which is being held as a physical general meeting: Right to vote on a show of hands
- (a) every member who is present in person shall have one vote;
- (b) subject to paragraph (c) of this Article, every proxy present who has been duly appointed by one or more members entitled to vote on the resolution has one vote;
- (c) a proxy has one vote for and one vote against the resolution if:
- (i) the proxy has been duly appointed by more than one member entitled to vote on the resolution, and
- (ii) the proxy has been instructed by one or more of those members to vote for the resolution and by one or more other of those members to vote against it.
-
- Subject to any rights or restrictions attached to any shares, on a vote on a resolution on a poll every member present in person or by proxy shall have one vote for every share of which the member is the holder. Right to vote on a poll
-
- In the case of joint holders of a share, the vote of the senior who tenders a vote, whether in person or by proxy, shall be accepted to the exclusion of the votes of the other joint holders. For this purpose seniority shall be determined by the order in which the names of the holders stand in the register. Votes of joint holders
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- A member in respect of whom an order has been made by a court or official having jurisdiction (whether in the United Kingdom or elsewhere) in matters concerning mental disorder may vote, whether on a show of hands or on a poll, by the member's receiver, curator bonis or other person authorised for that purpose appointed by that court or official. That receiver, curator bonis or other person may, on a show of hands or on a poll, vote by proxy. The right to vote shall be exercisable only if evidence satisfactory to the board of the authority of the person claiming to exercise the right to vote has been delivered to the office, or another place specified in accordance with these Articles for the delivery of proxy appointments, not less than 48 hours before the time appointed for holding the meeting or adjourned meeting at which the right to vote is to be exercised provided that the Company may specify, in any case, that in calculating the period of 48 hours, no account shall be taken of any part of a day that is not a working day. Member under incapacity
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- No member shall be entitled to vote at a general meeting or at a separate meeting of the holders of any class of shares in the capital of the Company, either in person or by proxy, in respect of any share held by that member unless all moneys presently payable by that member in respect of that share have been paid. Calls in arrears
Section 793 of the Act: restrictions if in default
- If at any time the board is satisfied that any member, or any other person appearing to be interested in shares held by such member, has been duly served with a notice under section 793 of the Act (a section 793 notice) and is in default for the prescribed period in supplying to the Company the information thereby required, or, in purported compliance with such a notice, has made a statement which is false or inadequate in a material particular, then the board may, in its absolute discretion at any time thereafter by notice (a direction notice) to such member direct that:
(a) in respect of the shares in relation to which the default occurred (the default shares, which expression includes any shares issued after the date of the section 793 notice in respect of those shares) the member shall not be entitled to attend or vote either personally or by proxy at a general meeting or at a separate meeting of the holders of that class of shares or on a poll; and
-
(b) where the default shares represent at least ¼ of one per cent. in nominal value of the issued shares of their class (excluding any shares of that class held as treasury shares), the direction notice may additionally direct that in respect of the default shares:
- (i) no payment shall be made by way of dividend and no share shall be allotted pursuant to Article 187;
- (ii) no transfer of any default share shall be registered unless:
- (A) the member is not personally in default as regards supplying the information requested and the transfer when presented for registration is accompanied by a certificate by the member in such form as the board may in its absolute discretion require to the effect that after due and careful enquiry the member is satisfied that no person in default as regards supplying such information is interested in any of the shares the subject of the transfer; or
- (B) the transfer is an approved transfer; or
- (C) registration of the transfer is required by the Regulations.
-
The Company shall send the direction notice to each other person appearing to be interested in the default shares, but the failure or omission by the Company to do so shall not invalidate such notice.
-
Any direction notice shall cease to have effect not more than seven days after the earlier of receipt by the Company of:
-
(a) a notice of an approved transfer, but only in relation to the shares transferred; or
- (b) all the information required by the relevant section 793 notice, in a form satisfactory to the board.
-
- The board may at any time send a notice cancelling a direction notice. Board may
-
The Company may exercise any of its powers under Article 14 in respect of any default share that is held in uncertificated form.
-
For the purposes of this Article and Articles 98, 99, 100, 101 and 102:
(a) a person shall be treated as appearing to be interested in any shares if the member holding such shares has sent to the Company a notification under section 793 of the Act which either (i) names such person as being so interested or (ii) fails to establish the identities of all those interested in the shares, and (after taking into account the said notification and any other relevant section 793 notification) the Company knows or has reasonable cause to believe that the person in question is or may be interested in the shares;
Copy of notice to interested persons
When restrictions cease to have effect
cancel restrictions Conversion of uncertificated shares
Supplementary provisions
- (b) the prescribed period is 14 days from the date of service of the section 793 notice; and
- (c) a transfer of shares is an approved transfer if:
- (i) it is a transfer of shares pursuant to an acceptance of a takeover offer (within the meaning of section 974 of the Act); or
- (ii) the board is satisfied that the transfer is made pursuant to a sale of the whole of the beneficial ownership of the shares the subject of the transfer to a party unconnected with the member and with any other person appearing to be interested in the shares; or
- (iii) the transfer results from a sale made through a recognised investment exchange as defined in the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 or any other stock exchange outside the United Kingdom on which the Company's shares are normally traded.
104. Nothing contained in Article 98, 99, 100, 101, 102 or 103 limits the power of the Company under section 794 of the Act. Section 794 of the Act
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- If any votes are counted which ought not to have been counted, or might have been rejected, the error shall not vitiate the result of the voting unless it is pointed out at the same meeting, or at any adjournment of the meeting, and, in the opinion of the chair, it is of sufficient magnitude to vitiate the result of the voting. Errors in voting
-
- No objection shall be raised to the qualification of any voter except at the meeting or adjourned meeting or poll at which the vote objected to is tendered. Every vote not disallowed at such meeting shall be valid and every vote not counted which ought to have been counted shall be disregarded. Any objection made in due time shall be referred to the chair whose decision shall be final and conclusive. Objection to voting
-
On a poll, a member entitled to more than one vote need not, if that member votes, use all that member's votes or cast all the votes that member uses in the same way. Voting: additional provisions
PROXIES AND CORPORATE REPRESENTATIVES
-
- The appointment of a proxy shall be made in writing and shall be in any usual form or in any other form which the board may approve. Subject thereto, the appointment of a proxy may be: Appointment of proxy: form
- (a) in hard copy form; or
- (b) in electronic form, to the electronic address provided by the Company for this purpose.
-
- The appointment of a proxy, whether made in hard copy form or in electronic form, shall be executed in such manner as may be approved by or on behalf of the Company from time to time. Subject thereto, the appointment of a proxy shall be Execution of proxy
executed by the appointor or any person duly authorised by the appointor or, if the appointor is a corporation, executed by a duly authorised person or under its common seal or in any other manner authorised by its constitution.
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The board may, if it thinks fit, but subject to the provisions of the Companies Acts, at the Company's expense send hard copy forms of proxy for use at the meeting and issue invitations in electronic form to appoint a proxy in relation to the meeting in such form as may be approved by the board. The appointment of a proxy shall not preclude a member from attending and voting in person at the meeting or poll concerned. A member may appoint more than one proxy to attend on the same occasion, provided that each such proxy is appointed to exercise the rights attached to a different share or shares held by that member. Proxies: other provisions
-
Without prejudice to the second sentence of Article 84, the appointment of a proxy shall: Delivery/receipt of proxy appointment
-
(a) if in hard copy form, be delivered by hand or by post to the office or such other place within the United Kingdom and by such time as may be specified by or on behalf of the Company for that purpose:
- (i) in the notice convening the meeting; or
- (ii) in any form of proxy sent by or on behalf of the Company in relation to the meeting;
provided that:
- (iii) the time so specified may not be earlier than 48 hours before the time appointed for holding the meeting or adjourned meeting at which the person named in the appointment proposes to vote; and
- (iv) if no time is specified, the appointment of a proxy shall be delivered not less than 48 hours before the time appointed for holding the meeting or adjourned meeting at which the person named in the appointment proposes to vote; or
- (b) if in electronic form, be received at any address to which the appointment of a proxy may be sent by electronic means pursuant to a provision of the Companies Acts or to any other address and by such time as may be specified by or on behalf of the Company for the purpose of receiving the appointment of a proxy in electronic form:
- (i) in the notice convening the meeting; or
- (ii) in any form of proxy sent by or on behalf of the Company in relation to the meeting; or
- (iii) in any invitation to appoint a proxy issued by the Company in relation to the meeting; or
(iv) on a website that is maintained by or on behalf of the Company and identifies the Company;
provided that:
- (v) the time so specified may not be earlier than 48 hours before the time appointed for holding the meeting or adjourned meeting at which the person named in the appointment proposes to vote; and
- (vi) if no time is specified, the appointment of a proxy shall be received not less than 48 hours before the time appointed for holding the meeting or adjourned meeting at which the person named in the appointment proposes to vote; or
- (c) in either case, where a poll is taken more than 48 hours after it is demanded, be delivered or received as aforesaid after the poll has been demanded and not less than 24 hours before the time appointed for the taking of the poll; or
- (d) if in hard copy form, where a poll is not taken forthwith but is taken not more than 48 hours after it was demanded, be delivered at the meeting at which the poll was demanded to the chair or to the secretary or to any director.
In calculating the periods mentioned in this Article, the board may specify, in any case, that no account shall be taken of any part of a day that is not a working day.
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Subject to the provisions of the Companies Acts, where the appointment of a proxy is expressed to have been or purports to have been made, sent or supplied by a person on behalf of the holder of a share: Authentication of proxy appointment not made by holder
-
(a) the Company may treat the appointment as sufficient evidence of the authority of that person to make, send or supply the appointment on behalf of that holder; and
- (b) that holder shall, if requested by or on behalf of the Company at any time, send or procure the sending of reasonable evidence of the authority under which the appointment has been made, sent or supplied (which may include a copy of such authority certified notarially or in some other way approved by the board), to such address and by such time as may be specified in the request and, if the request is not complied with in any respect, the appointment may be treated as invalid.
-
- The board may decide, either generally or in any particular case, to treat a proxy appointment as valid notwithstanding that it has not been delivered or received in accordance with the requirements of Article 111 or that any information requested under Article 112(b) has not been received. When two or more valid proxy appointments are delivered or received in respect of the same share for use at the same meeting, the one that was last delivered or received shall be treated as replacing or revoking the others as regards that share, provided that if the Company determines that it has insufficient evidence to decide whether or not a proxy appointment is in respect of the same share, it shall be entitled to determine which proxy appointment Validity of proxy appointment
(if any) is to be treated as valid. Subject to the Companies Acts, the Company may determine at its discretion when a proxy appointment shall be treated as delivered or received for the purposes of these Articles.
- A proxy appointment shall be deemed to entitle the proxy to exercise all or any of the appointing member's rights to attend and to speak and vote at a meeting of the Company in respect of the shares to which the proxy appointment relates. The proxy appointment shall, unless it provides to the contrary, be valid for any adjournment of the meeting as well as for the meeting to which it relates. Rights of proxy
- The Company shall not be required to check that a proxy or corporate representative votes in accordance with any instructions given by the member by whom the proxy or corporate representative is appointed. Any failure to vote as instructed shall not invalidate the proceedings on the resolution.
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- Any corporation which is a member of the Company (in this Article the grantor) may, by resolution of its directors or other governing body, authorise such person or persons as it thinks fit to act as its representative or representatives at any meeting of the Company or at any separate meeting of the holders of any class of shares. A director, the secretary or other person authorised for the purpose by the secretary may require all or any of such persons to produce a certified copy of the resolution of authorisation before permitting the representative or representatives to exercise their powers. Such person is entitled to exercise (on behalf of the grantor) the same powers as the grantor could exercise if it were an individual member of the Company. Where a grantor authorises more than one person: Corporate representatives
- (a) on a vote on a resolution on a show of hands at a meeting of the Company, each authorised person has the same voting rights as the grantor would be entitled to; and
- (b) where paragraph (a) of this Article does not apply and more than one authorised person purport to exercise a power in respect of the same shares:
- (i) if they purport to exercise the power in the same way as each other, the power is treated as exercised in that way; and
- (ii) if they do not purport to exercise the power in the same way as each other, the power is treated as not exercised.
-
- The termination of the authority of a person to act as a proxy or duly authorised representative of a corporation does not affect: Revocation of authority
- (a) whether that person counts in deciding whether there is a quorum at a meeting;
- (b) the validity of anything that person does as chair of a meeting;
- (c) the validity of a poll demanded by that person at a meeting; or
- (d) the validity of a vote given by that person,
unless notice of the termination was either delivered or received as mentioned in the following sentence at least three hours before the start of the relevant meeting or adjourned meeting or (in the case of a poll taken otherwise than on the same day as the meeting or adjourned meeting) the time appointed for taking the poll. Such notice of termination shall be either by means of a document in hard copy form delivered to the office or to such other place within the United Kingdom as may be specified by or on behalf of the Company in accordance with Article 111(a) or in electronic form received at the address specified by or on behalf of the Company in accordance with Article 111(b), regardless of whether any relevant proxy appointment was effected in hard copy form or in electronic form.
NUMBER OF DIRECTORS
- Unless otherwise determined by ordinary resolution, the number of directors (other than alternate directors) shall be not less than 2 but shall not be subject to any maximum in number. Limits on number of directors
APPOINTMENT AND RETIREMENT OF DIRECTORS
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- At every annual general meeting every director who held office on the date seven days before the date of the notice convening the annual general meeting shall retire from office. A retiring director is eligible for re-election and a director who is re-elected will be treated as continuing in office without a break. Retirement of directors
-
- If the Company does not fill the vacancy at the meeting at which a director retires, the retiring director shall, if willing to act, be deemed to have been reappointed unless at the meeting it is resolved not to fill the vacancy or unless a resolution for the re-appointment of the director is put to the meeting and lost. When director deemed to be reappointed
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- No person other than a retiring director shall be appointed a director at any general meeting unless: Eligibility for election
- (a) the person is recommended by the board; or
- (b) not less than seven nor more than 42 days before the date appointed for the meeting, notice by a member qualified to vote at the meeting (not being the person to be proposed) has been received by the Company of the intention to propose that person for appointment stating the particulars which would, if that person were so appointed, be required to be included in the Company's register of directors, together with notice by that person of their willingness to be appointed.
-
- If: Provisions if insufficient
directors appointed
- (a) any resolution or resolutions for the appointment or re-appointment of the persons eligible for appointment or re-appointment as directors are put to the annual general meeting and lost, and
- (b) at the end of that meeting the number of directors is fewer than any minimum number of directors required under Article 118,
all retiring directors who stood for re-appointment at that meeting (the Retiring Directors) shall be deemed to have been re-appointed as directors and shall remain in office, but the Retiring Directors may only:
- (c) act for the purpose of filling vacancies and convening general meetings of the Company; and
- (d) perform such duties as are appropriate to maintain the Company as a going concern and to comply with the Company's legal and regulatory obligations,
but not for any other purpose.
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The Retiring Directors shall convene a general meeting as soon as reasonably practicable following the annual general meeting referred to Article 122, and they shall retire from office at that meeting. If at the end of any meeting convened under this Article the number of directors is fewer than any minimum number of directors required under Article 118, the provisions of Article 122 and Article 123 shall also apply to that meeting. Provisions for meeting convened under Article 122
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Except as otherwise authorised by the Companies Acts, a motion for the appointment of two or more persons as directors by a single resolution shall not be made unless a resolution that it should be so made has first been agreed to by the meeting without any vote being given against it. Separate resolutions on appointment
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Subject as aforesaid, the Company may by ordinary resolution appoint a person who is willing to act to be a director either to fill a vacancy or as an additional director. The appointment of a person to fill a vacancy or as an additional director shall take effect from the end of the meeting, unless otherwise specified in the ordinary resolution. Additional powers of the Company
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The board may appoint a person who is willing to act to be a director, either to fill a vacancy or as an additional director and in either case whether or not for a fixed term. Appointment by board
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A director who retires at an annual general meeting may, if willing to act, be re-appointed. If the director is not re-appointed, the director shall, unless Article 122 applies, retain office until the meeting appoints someone in the director's place, or if it does not do so, until the end of the meeting. Position of retiring directors
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[This Article has been deleted.]
ALTERNATE DIRECTORS
Power to appoint alternates 129. Any director (other than an alternate director) may appoint any other director, or any other person approved by resolution of the board and willing to act, to be an alternate director and may remove from office an alternate director so appointed by that director.
- An alternate director shall be entitled to receive notice of all meetings of the board and of all meetings of committees of the board of which the alternate director's appointor is a member, to attend and vote at any such meeting at which the alternate director's appointor is not personally present, and generally to perform all the functions of the alternate director's appointor (except as regards power to appoint an alternate) as a director in the appointor's absence. It shall not be necessary to send notice of such a meeting to an alternate director who is absent from the United Kingdom. Alternates entitled to receive notice
Alternates representing more than one director
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A director or any other person may act as alternate director to represent more than one director, and an alternate director shall be entitled at meetings of the board or any committee of the board to one vote for every director whom the alternate director represents (and who is not present) in addition to the alternate director's own vote (if any) as a director, but the alternate director shall count as only one for the purpose of determining whether a quorum is present.
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An alternate director may be repaid by the Company such expenses as might properly have been repaid to the alternate director if the alternate director had been a director but shall not be entitled to receive any remuneration from the Company in respect of services as an alternate director except such part (if any) of the remuneration otherwise payable to the alternate director's appointor as such appointor may by notice to the Company from time to time direct. An alternate director shall be entitled to be indemnified by the Company to the same extent as if the alternate director were a director. Expenses and remuneration of alternates
Termination of appointment
-
An alternate director shall cease to be an alternate director:
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(a) if the alternate director's appointor ceases to be a director; but, if a director retires but is re-appointed or deemed to have been re-appointed at the meeting at which that director retires, any appointment of an alternate director made by that director which was in force immediately prior to that director's retirement shall continue after that director's re-appointment; or
- (b) on the happening of any event which, if the alternate director were a director, would cause that person to vacate office as a director; or
-
(c) if the alternate director resigns from that office by notice to the Company.
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Any appointment or removal of an alternate director shall be by notice to the Company by the director making or revoking the appointment and shall take effect in accordance with the terms of the notice (subject to any approval required by Article 129) on receipt of such notice by the Company which shall be in hard copy form or in electronic form sent to such address (if any) for the time being specified by or on behalf of the Company for that purpose. Method of appointment and revocation
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Except as otherwise expressly provided in these Articles, an alternate director shall be deemed for all purposes to be a director. Accordingly, except where the context otherwise requires, a reference to a director shall be deemed to include a reference to an alternate director. An alternate director shall alone be responsible for Alternate not an agent of appointor
that alternate director's own acts and defaults and that alternate director shall not be deemed to be the agent of the appointing director.
POWERS OF THE BOARD
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Subject to the provisions of the Companies Acts and these Articles and to any directions given by special resolution, the business of the Company shall be managed by the board which may pay all expenses incurred in forming and registering the Company and may exercise all the powers of the Company, including without limitation the power to dispose of all or any part of the undertaking of the Company. No alteration of the Articles and no such direction shall invalidate any prior act of the board which would have been valid if that alteration had not been made or that direction had not been given. The powers given by this Article shall not be limited by any special power given to the board by these Articles. A meeting of the board at which a quorum is present may exercise all powers exercisable by the board. Business to be managed by board
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The board may exercise the voting power conferred by the shares in any body corporate held or owned by the Company in such manner in all respects as it thinks fit (including without limitation the exercise of that power in favour of any resolution appointing its members or any of them directors of such body corporate, or voting or providing for the payment of remuneration to the directors of such body corporate). Exercise by Company of voting rights
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The board may exercise all the powers of the Company to borrow money, to guarantee, to indemnify, to mortgage or charge its undertaking, property, assets (present and future) and uncalled capital, and to issue debentures and other securities, whether outright or as collateral security for any debt, liability or obligation of the Company or of any third party. Power to borrow
138A. The board may change the name of the Company. Power to change Company name
DELEGATION OF POWERS OF THE BOARD
- The board may delegate any of its powers, authorities and discretions (with power to sub-delegate) to any committee consisting of such person or persons (whether directors or not) as it thinks fit. The board may make any such delegation on such terms and conditions as it thinks fit and may revoke or vary any such delegation and discharge any committee wholly or in part, but no person dealing in good faith shall be affected by any revocation or variation. Any committee so formed shall, in the exercise of the powers, authorities and discretions so delegated, conform to any regulations that may be imposed on it by the board. Committees
- The proceedings of a committee with two or more members shall be governed by any regulations imposed on it by the board and (subject to such regulations) by these Articles regulating the proceedings of the board so far as they are capable of applying.
- The board may establish local or divisional boards or agencies for managing any of the affairs of the Company, either in the United Kingdom or elsewhere, and may appoint any persons to be members of the local or divisional boards, or any managers or agents, and may fix their remuneration. The board may delegate to any Local boards etc.
local or divisional board, manager or agent any of the powers, authorities and discretions vested in or exercisable by the board, with power to sub-delegate, and may authorise the members of any local or divisional board, or any of them, to fill any vacancies and to act notwithstanding vacancies. Any appointment or delegation made pursuant to this Article may be made on such terms and subject to such conditions as the board may decide. The board may remove any person so appointed and may revoke or vary the delegation but no person dealing in good faith and without notice of the revocation or variation shall be affected by it.
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- The board may, by power of attorney or otherwise, appoint any person to be the agent of the Company for such purposes, with such powers, authorities and discretions (not exceeding those vested in the board) and on such conditions as the board determines, including without limitation authority for the agent to delegate all or any of the agent's powers, authorities and discretions, and may revoke or vary such delegation. Agents
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- The board may appoint any person to any office or employment having a designation or title including the word "director" or attach to any existing office or employment with the Company such a designation or title and may terminate any such appointment or the use of any such designation or title. The inclusion of the word "director" in the designation or title of any such office or employment shall not imply that the holder is a director of the Company, and the holder shall not thereby be empowered in any respect to act as, or be deemed to be, a director of the Company for any of the purposes of these Articles. Offices including title "director"
DISQUALIFICATION AND REMOVAL OF DIRECTORS
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- A person ceases to be a director as soon as: Disqualification as a director
- (a) that person ceases to be a director by virtue of any provision of the Act or is prohibited from being a director by law;
- (b) a bankruptcy order is made against that person;
- (c) a composition is made with that person's creditors generally in satisfaction of that person's debts;
- (d) a registered medical practitioner who is treating that person gives a written opinion to the Company stating that that person has become physically or mentally incapable of acting as a director and may remain so for more than three months;
- (e) notification is received by the Company from the director that the director is resigning or retiring from office, and such resignation or retirement has taken effect in accordance with its terms, or the director's office as a director is vacated pursuant to Article 127;
- (f) that person has been absent for more than six consecutive months without permission of the board from meetings of the board held during that period and that person's alternate director (if any) has not attended in that person's
place during that period and the board resolves that the person's office be vacated; or
- (g) that person receives notice signed by not less than three quarters of the other directors stating that that person should cease to be a director. In calculating the number of directors who are required to give such notice to the director, (i) an alternate director appointed by that director acting in capacity as such shall be excluded; and (ii) a director and any alternate director appointed by that director and acting in capacity as such shall constitute a single director for this purpose, so that notice by either shall be sufficient.
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Power of Company to remove director
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The Company may, without prejudice to the provisions of the Companies Acts, by ordinary resolution remove any director from office (notwithstanding any provision of these Articles or of any agreement between the Company and such director, but without prejudice to any claim the director may have for damages for breach of any such agreement). No special notice need be given of any resolution to remove a director in accordance with this Article and no director proposed to be removed in accordance with this Article has any special right to protest against the removal. The Company may, by ordinary resolution, appoint another person in place of a director removed from office in accordance with this Article.
NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS
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- Subject to the provisions of the Companies Acts, the board may enter into, vary and terminate an agreement or arrangement with any director who does not hold executive office for the provision of the director's services to the Company. Subject to Articles 147 and 148, any such agreement or arrangement may be made on such terms as the board determines. Arrangements with nonexecutive directors
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- The ordinary remuneration of the directors who do not hold executive office for their services (excluding amounts payable under any other provision of these Articles) shall not exceed in aggregate £1 million per annum or such higher amount as the Company may from time to time by ordinary resolution determine. Subject thereto, each such director shall be paid a fee for their services (which shall be deemed to accrue from day to day) at such rate as may from time to time be determined by the board. Ordinary remuneration
Additional remuneration for special services
- Any director who does not hold executive office and who performs special services which in the opinion of the board are outside the scope of the ordinary duties of a director, may (without prejudice to the provisions of Article 147) be paid such extra remuneration by way of additional fee, salary, commission or otherwise as the board may determine.
DIRECTORS' EXPENSES
- The directors may be paid all travelling, hotel, and other expenses properly incurred by them in connection with their attendance at meetings of the board or committees of the board, general meetings or separate meetings of the holders of any class of shares or of debentures of the Company or otherwise in connection with the discharge of their duties. Directors may be paid expenses
EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS
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- Subject to the provisions of the Companies Acts, the board may appoint one or more of its body to be the holder of any executive office (except that of auditor) in the Company and may enter into an agreement or arrangement with any such director for such director's employment by the Company or for the provision by such director of any services outside the scope of the ordinary duties of a director. Any such appointment, agreement or arrangement may be made on such terms, including without limitation terms as to remuneration, as the board determines. The board may revoke or vary any such appointment but without prejudice to any rights or claims which the person whose appointment is revoked or varied may have against the Company because of the revocation or variation. Appointment to executive office
-
- Any appointment of a director to an executive office shall terminate if that director ceases to be a director but without prejudice to any rights or claims which that director may have against the Company by reason of such cessation. A director appointed to an executive office shall not cease to be a director merely because that director's appointment to such executive office terminates. Termination of appointment to executive office
-
- The emoluments of any director holding executive office for that director's services as such shall be determined by the board, and may be of any description, including without limitation admission to, or continuance of, membership of any scheme (including any share acquisition scheme) or fund instituted or established or financed or contributed to by the Company for the provision of pensions, life assurance or other benefits for employees or their dependants, or the payment of a pension or other benefits to that director or that director's dependants on or after retirement or death, apart from membership of any such scheme or fund. Emoluments to be determined by the board
DIRECTORS' INTERESTS
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- For the purposes of section 175 of the Act, the board may authorise any matter proposed to it in accordance with these Articles which would, if not so authorised, involve a breach of duty by a director under that section, including, without limitation, any matter which relates to a situation in which a director has, or can have, an interest which conflicts, or possibly may conflict, with the interests of the Company. Any such authorisation will be effective only if:
- (a) any requirement as to quorum at the meeting at which the matter is considered is met without counting the director in question or any other interested director; and
- (b) the matter was agreed to without their voting or would have been agreed to if their votes had not been counted.
The board may (whether at the time of the giving of the authorisation or subsequently) make any such authorisation subject to any limits or conditions it expressly imposes but such authorisation is otherwise given to the fullest extent permitted. The board may vary or terminate any such authorisation at any time.
Authorisation under s175 of the Act
For the purposes of the Articles, a conflict of interest includes a conflict of interest and duty and a conflict of duties, and interest includes both direct and indirect interests.
Director may contract with the Company and hold other offices etc
-
Provided that the director has disclosed to the board the nature and extent of the director's interest (unless the circumstances referred to in section 177(5) or section 177(6) of the Act apply, in which case no such disclosure is required) a director notwithstanding that director's office:
-
(a) may be a party to, or otherwise interested in, any transaction or arrangement with the Company or in which the Company is otherwise (directly or indirectly) interested;
- (b) may act personally or by the director's firm in a professional capacity for the Company (otherwise than as auditor) and the director or the director's firm shall be entitled to remuneration for professional services as if the director were not a director; and
- (c) may be a director or other officer of, or employed by, or a party to a transaction or arrangement with, or otherwise interested in, any body corporate:
- (i) in which the Company is (directly or indirectly) interested as shareholder or otherwise; or
- (ii) with which the director has such a relationship at the request or direction of the Company.
-
- A director shall not, by reason of the director's office, be accountable to the Company for any remuneration or other benefit which the director derives from any office or employment or from any transaction or arrangement or from any interest in any body corporate: Remuneration, benefits etc.
- (a) the acceptance, entry into or existence of which has been approved by the board pursuant to Article 153 (subject, in any such case, to any limits or conditions to which such approval was subject); or
- (b) which the director is permitted to hold or enter into by virtue of paragraph (a), (b) or (c) of Article 154;
nor shall the receipt of any such remuneration or other benefit constitute a breach of the director's duty under section 176 of the Act.
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Any disclosure required by Article 154 may be made at a meeting of the board, by notice in writing or by general notice or otherwise in accordance with section 177 of the Act. Notification of interests
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A director shall be under no duty to the Company with respect to any information which the director obtains or has obtained otherwise than as a director of the Company and in respect of which the director owes a duty of confidentiality to Duty of confidentiality to another person
another person. However, to the extent that the director's relationship with that other person gives rise to a conflict of interest or possible conflict of interest, this Article applies only if the existence of that relationship has been approved by the board pursuant to Article 153. In particular, the director shall not be in breach of the general duties the director owes to the Company by virtue of sections 171 to 177 of the Act because the director fails:
- (a) to disclose any such information to the board or to any director or other officer or employee of the Company; and/or
- (b) to use or apply any such information in performing the director's duties as a director of the Company.
-
- Where the existence of a director's relationship with another person has been approved by the board pursuant to Article 153 and the director's relationship with that person gives rise to a conflict of interest or possible conflict of interest, the director shall not be in breach of the general duties the director owes to the Company by virtue of sections 171 to 177 of the Act because the director: Consequences of authorisation
- (a) personally absents from meetings of the board at which any matter relating to the conflict of interest or possible conflict of interest will or may be discussed or from the discussion of any such matter at a meeting or otherwise; and/or
- (b) makes arrangements not to receive documents and information relating to any matter which gives rise to the conflict of interest or possible conflict of interest sent or supplied by the Company and/or for such documents and information to be received and read by a professional adviser,
for so long as the director reasonably believes such conflict of interest or possible conflict of interest subsists.
-
The provisions of Articles 157 and 158 are without prejudice to any equitable principle or rule of law which may excuse the director from:
-
(a) disclosing information, in circumstances where disclosure would otherwise be required under these Articles; or
- (b) attending meetings or discussions or receiving documents and information as referred to in Article 158, in circumstances where such attendance or receiving such documents and information would otherwise be required under these Articles.
GRATUITIES, PENSIONS AND INSURANCE
- The board may (by establishment of, or maintenance of, schemes or otherwise) provide benefits, whether by the payment of gratuities or pensions or by insurance or otherwise, for any past or present director or employee of the Company or any of its subsidiary undertakings or any body corporate associated with, or any business acquired by, any of them, and for any member of the director's family (including a spouse, a civil partner, a former spouse and a former civil partner) or any Gratuities and pensions
Without prejudice to equitable principles or rule of law
person who is or was dependent on the director, and may (as well before as after the director ceases to hold such office or employment) contribute to any fund and pay premiums for the purchase or provision of any such benefit.
-
- Without prejudice to the provisions of Article 225, the board may exercise all the powers of the Company to purchase and maintain insurance for or for the benefit of any person who is or was: Insurance
- (a) a director, officer or employee of the Company, or any body which is or was the holding company or subsidiary undertaking of the Company, or in which the Company or such holding company or subsidiary undertaking has or had any interest (whether direct or indirect) or with which the Company or such holding company or subsidiary undertaking is or was in any way allied or associated; or
- (b) a trustee of any pension fund in which employees of the Company or any other body referred to in paragraph (a) of this Article are or have been interested,
including without limitation insurance against any liability incurred by such person in respect of any act or omission in the actual or purported execution or discharge of such person's duties or in the exercise or purported exercise of such person's powers or otherwise in relation to such person's duties, powers or offices in relation to the relevant body or fund.
-
- No director or former director shall be accountable to the Company or the members for any benefit provided pursuant to these Articles. The receipt of any such benefit shall not disqualify any person from being or becoming a director of the Company. Directors not liable to account
-
- The board may make provision for the benefit of any persons employed or formerly employed by the Company or any of its subsidiaries other than a director or former director or shadow director in connection with the cessation or the transfer of the whole or part of the undertaking of the Company or any subsidiary. Any such provision shall be made by a resolution of the board in accordance with section 247 of the Act. Section 247 of the Act
PROCEEDINGS OF THE BOARD
- Subject to the provisions of these Articles, the board may regulate its proceedings as it thinks fit. A director may, and the secretary at the request of a director shall, call a meeting of the board by giving notice of the meeting to each director. Notice of a board meeting shall be deemed to be given to a director if it is given to that director personally or by word of mouth or sent in hard copy form to that director's last known address or such other address (if any) as may for the time being be specified by that director or on that director's behalf to the Company for that purpose, or sent in electronic form to such address (if any) for the time being specified by that director or on that director's behalf to the Company for that purpose. A director absent or intending to be absent from the United Kingdom may request the board that notices of board meetings shall during that director's absence be sent in Convening meetings
hard copy form or in electronic form to such address (if any) for the time being specified by that director or on that director's behalf to the Company for that purpose, but such notices need not be sent any earlier than notices sent to directors not so absent and, if no such request is made to the board, it shall not be necessary to send notice of a board meeting to any director who is for the time being absent from the United Kingdom. No account is to be taken of directors absent from the United Kingdom when considering the adequacy of the period of notice of the meeting. Questions arising at a meeting shall be decided by a majority of votes. In the case of an equality of votes, the chair shall have a second or casting vote. Any director may waive notice of a meeting and any such waiver may be retrospective. Any notice pursuant to this Article need not be in writing if the board so determines and any such determination may be retrospective.
- The quorum for the transaction of the business of the board may be fixed by the board and unless so fixed at any other number shall be two. A person who holds office only as an alternate director may, if such person's appointor is not present, be counted in the quorum. Any director who ceases to be a director at a board meeting may continue to be present and to act as a director and be counted in the quorum until the termination of the board meeting if no director objects. Quorum
Powers of directors if number falls below minimum
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The continuing directors or a sole continuing director may act notwithstanding any vacancies in their number, but if the number of directors is less than the number fixed as the quorum the continuing directors or director may, unless Article 120 applies, act only for the purpose of filling vacancies or of calling a general meeting.
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- The board may appoint one of their number to be the chair, and one of their number to be the deputy chair, of the board and may at any time remove either of them from such office. Unless such person is unwilling to do so, the director appointed as chair, or in that person's stead the director appointed as deputy chair, shall preside at every meeting of the board at which such person is present. If there is no director holding either of those offices, or if neither the chair nor the deputy chair is willing to preside or neither of them is present within five minutes after the time appointed for the meeting, the directors present may appoint one of their number to be chair of the meeting. Chair and deputy chair
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- All acts done by a meeting of the board, or of a committee of the board, or by a person acting as a director or alternate director, shall, notwithstanding that it be afterwards discovered that there was a defect in the appointment of any director or any member of the committee or alternate director or that any of them were disqualified from holding office, or had vacated office, or were not entitled to vote, be as valid as if every such person had been duly appointed and was qualified and had continued to be a director or, as the case may be, an alternate director and had been entitled to vote. Validity of acts of the board
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- A resolution in writing agreed to by all the directors entitled to vote at a meeting of the board or of a committee of the board but excluding any director whose vote is not to be counted in respect of the matter in question (not being less than the number of directors required to form a quorum of the board) shall be as valid and Resolutions in writing
effectual as if it had been passed at a meeting of the board or (as the case may be) a committee of the board duly convened and held. For this purpose:
- (a) a director signifies agreement to a proposed written resolution when the Company receives from that director a document indicating the director's agreement to the resolution authenticated in the manner permitted by the Companies Acts for a document in the relevant form;
- (b) the director may send the document in hard copy form or in electronic form to such address (if any) for the time being specified by the Company for that purpose;
- (c) if an alternate director signifies agreement to the proposed written resolution, such alternate director's appointor need not also signify agreement; and
- (d) if a director signifies agreement to the proposed written resolution, an alternate director appointed by such director need not also signify agreement in that capacity.
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- Without prejudice to the first sentence of Article 164, a person entitled to be present at a meeting of the board or of a committee of the board shall be deemed to be present for all purposes if that person is able (directly or by electronic communication) to (a) hear (or otherwise receive real time communications made by) each of the other participating directors addressing the meeting; and (b) address, if that person so wishes, all of the other participating directors simultaneously (or otherwise communicate in real time with them). A director so deemed to be present shall be entitled to vote and be counted in a quorum accordingly. Such a meeting shall be deemed to take place where it is convened to be held or (if no director is present in that place) where the largest group of those participating is assembled, or, if there is no such group, where the chair of the meeting is. The word meeting in these Articles shall be construed accordingly where used in relation to board and committee meetings. Meetings by telephone / online etc.
Directors' power to vote on contracts in which they are interested
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Except as otherwise provided by these Articles, a director shall not vote at a meeting of the board or a committee of the board on any resolution of the board concerning a matter in which the director has an interest (other than by virtue of the director's interests in shares or debentures or other securities of, or otherwise in or through, the Company) which can reasonably be regarded as likely to give rise to a conflict with the interests of the Company, unless the director's interest arises only because the resolution concerns one or more of the following matters:
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(a) the giving of a guarantee, security or indemnity in respect of money lent or obligations incurred by the director or any other person at the request of or for the benefit of, the Company or any of its subsidiary undertakings;
- (b) the giving of a guarantee, security or indemnity in respect of a debt or obligation of the Company or any of its subsidiary undertakings for which the director has assumed responsibility (in whole or part and whether alone or jointly with others) under a guarantee or indemnity or by the giving of security;
- (c) a contract, arrangement, transaction or proposal concerning an offer of shares, debentures or other securities of the Company or any of its subsidiary undertakings for subscription or purchase, in which offer the director is or may be entitled to participate as a holder of securities or in the underwriting or subunderwriting of which the director is to participate;
- (d) a contract, arrangement, transaction or proposal concerning any other body corporate in which the director or any person connected with the director is interested, directly or indirectly, and whether as an officer, shareholder, creditor or otherwise, if the director and any persons connected with the director do not to the director's knowledge hold an interest (as that term is used in sections 820 to 825 of the Act) representing one per cent. or more of either any class of the equity share capital (excluding any shares of that class held as treasury shares) of such body corporate (or any other body corporate through which the director's interest is derived) or of the voting rights available to members of the relevant body corporate (any such interest being deemed for the purpose of this Article to be likely to give rise to a conflict with the interests of the Company in all circumstances);
- (e) a contract, arrangement, transaction or proposal for the benefit of employees of the Company or of any of its subsidiary undertakings which does not award the director any privilege or benefit not generally accorded to the employees to whom the arrangement relates; and
- (f) a contract, arrangement, transaction or proposal concerning any insurance which the Company is empowered to purchase or maintain for, or for the benefit of, any directors of the Company or for persons who include directors of the Company.
For the purposes of this Article, in relation to an alternate director, an interest of the alternate director's appointor shall be treated as an interest of the alternate director without prejudice to any interest which the alternate director has otherwise.
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The Company may by ordinary resolution suspend or relax to any extent, either generally or in respect of any particular matter, any provision of these Articles prohibiting a director from voting at a meeting of the board or of a committee of the board.
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- Where proposals are under consideration concerning the appointment (including without limitation fixing or varying the terms of appointment) of two or more directors to offices or employments with the Company or any body corporate in which the Company is interested, the proposals may be divided and considered in relation to each director separately. In such cases each of the directors concerned shall be entitled to vote in respect of each resolution except that concerning the director's own appointment as a director. Division of proposals
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- If a question arises at a meeting of the board or of a committee of the board as to the entitlement of a director to vote, the question may, before the conclusion of the meeting, be referred to the chair of the meeting and the chair's ruling in relation to any director other than the chair shall be final and conclusive except in a case where Decision of chair final and conclusive
the nature or extent of the interests of the director concerned have not been fairly disclosed. If any such question arises in respect of the chair of the meeting, it shall be decided by resolution of the board (on which the chair shall not vote) and such resolution will be final and conclusive except in a case where the nature and extent of the interests of the chair have not been fairly disclosed.
SECRETARY
Appointment and removal of secretary
- Subject to the provisions of the Companies Acts, the secretary shall be appointed by the board for such term, at such remuneration and on such conditions as it may think fit. Any secretary so appointed may be removed by the board, but without prejudice to any claim for damages for breach of any contract of service between the secretary and the Company.
MINUTES
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The board shall cause minutes to be recorded for the purpose of: Minutes required to be kept
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(a) all appointments of officers made by the board; and
- (b) all proceedings at meetings of the Company, the holders of any class of shares in the capital of the Company, the board and committees of the board, including the names of the directors present at each such meeting.
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- Any such minutes, if purporting to be authenticated by the chair of the meeting to which they relate or of the next meeting, shall be sufficient evidence of the proceedings at the meeting without any further proof of the facts stated in them. Conclusiveness of minutes
THE SEAL
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- The seal shall only be used by the authority of a resolution of the board. The board may determine who shall sign any document executed under the seal. If they do not, it shall be signed by at least one director and the secretary or by at least two directors. Any document may be executed under the seal by impressing the seal by mechanical means or by printing the seal or a facsimile of it on the document or by applying the seal or a facsimile of it by any other means to the document. A document executed, with the authority of a resolution of the board, in any manner permitted by section 44(2) of the Act and expressed (in whatever form of words) to be executed by the Company has the same effect as if executed under the seal. Authority required for execution of deed
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- The board may by resolution determine either generally or in any particular case that any certificate for shares or debentures or representing any other form of security may have any signature affixed to it by some mechanical or electronic means, or printed on it or, in the case of a certificate executed under the seal, need not bear any signature. Certificates for shares and debentures
REGISTERS
- Subject to the provisions of the Companies Acts and the Regulations, the Company may keep an overseas or local or other register in any place, and the board Overseas and local registers
may make, amend and revoke any regulations it thinks fit about the keeping of that register.
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Any director or the secretary or any other person appointed by the board for the purpose shall have power to authenticate and certify as true copies of and extracts from: Authentication and certification of copies and extracts
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(a) any document comprising or affecting the constitution of the Company, whether in hard copy form or electronic form;
- (b) any resolution passed by the Company, the holders of any class of shares in the capital of the Company, the board or any committee of the board, whether in hard copy form or electronic form; and
- (c) any book, record and document relating to the business of the Company, whether in hard copy form or electronic form (including without limitation the accounts).
If certified in this way, a document purporting to be a copy of a resolution, or the minutes or an extract from the minutes of a meeting of the Company, the holders of any class of shares in the capital of the Company, the board or a committee of the board, whether in hard copy form or electronic form, shall be conclusive evidence in favour of all persons dealing with the Company in reliance on it or them that the resolution was duly passed or that the minutes are, or the extract from the minutes is, a true and accurate record of proceedings at a duly constituted meeting.
DIVIDENDS
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Subject to the provisions of the Companies Acts, the Company may by ordinary resolution declare dividends in accordance with the respective rights of the members, but no dividend shall exceed the amount recommended by the board. Declaration of dividends by the Company
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182A. (a) Any dividend may, at any point prior to its payment, be cancelled by the board if the board reasonably considers that a cancellation or deferral is required by any applicable law or regulation (including, without limitation, to meet any applicable capital requirement) or if the board considers, in its sole discretion, that it would be appropriate or prudent to cancel any such dividend. Accordingly, notwithstanding the terms of any resolution of the Company in general meeting, any dividend declared will only be payable if it has not been cancelled by the directors prior to its payment (whether or not such conditionality is expressly provided for in any relevant resolution). Cancellation of dividends by the board
- (b) If the directors act in good faith they will not incur any liability to any member of the Company in respect of any decision by the board to cancel a dividend in accordance with this Article.
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- Subject to the provisions of the Companies Acts, the board may pay interim dividends if it appears to the board that they are justified by the profits of the Company available for distribution. If the share capital is divided into different classes, the board may: Interim dividends
- (a) pay interim dividends on shares which confer deferred or non-preferred rights with regard to dividends as well as on shares which confer preferential rights with regard to dividends, but no interim dividend shall be paid on shares carrying deferred or non-preferred rights if, at the time of payment, any preferential dividend is in arrear; and
- (b) pay at intervals settled by it any dividend payable at a fixed rate if it appears to the board that the profits available for distribution justify the payment.
If the board acts in good faith it shall not incur any liability to the holders of shares conferring preferred rights for any loss they may suffer by the lawful payment of an interim dividend on any shares having deferred or non-preferred rights.
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Dividends may be declared and paid in any currency or currencies that the board shall determine. The board may also determine the exchange rate and the relevant date for determining the value of the dividend in any currency. Declaration and payment in different currencies
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- Except as otherwise provided by the rights attached to shares, all dividends shall be declared and paid according to the amounts paid up on the shares on which the dividend is paid; but no amount paid on a share in advance of the date on which a call is payable shall be treated for the purpose of this Article as paid on the share. All dividends shall be apportioned and paid proportionately to the amounts paid up on the shares during any portion or portions of the period in respect of which the dividend is paid; but, if any share is allotted or issued on terms providing that it shall rank for dividend as from a particular date, that share shall rank for dividend accordingly. Apportionment of dividends
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- A general meeting declaring a dividend may, on the recommendation of the board, by ordinary resolution direct that it shall be satisfied wholly or partly by the distribution of assets, including without limitation paid up shares or debentures of another body corporate. The board may make any arrangements it thinks fit to settle any difficulty arising in connection with the distribution, including without limitation (a) the fixing of the value for distribution of any assets, (b) the payment of cash to any member on the basis of that value in order to adjust the rights of members, and (c) the vesting of any asset in a trustee. Dividends in specie
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The board may, if authorised by an ordinary resolution of the Company (the Resolution), offer any holder of shares the right to elect to receive shares, credited as fully paid, instead of cash in respect of the whole (or some part, to be determined by the board) of all or any dividend specified by the Resolution. The offer shall be on the terms and conditions and be made in the manner specified in Article 188 or, subject to those provisions, specified in the Resolution. Scrip dividends: authorising resolution
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The following provisions shall apply to the Resolution and any offer made pursuant to it and Article 187: Scrip dividends: procedures
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(a) the Resolution may specify a particular dividend, or may specify all or any dividends declared within a specified period;
- (b) each holder of shares shall be entitled to that number of new shares as are together as nearly as possible equal in value to (but not greater than) the cash
amount (disregarding any tax credit) of the dividend that such holder elects to forgo (each a new share). For this purpose, the value of each new share shall be:
- (i) equal to the average quotation for the Company's ordinary shares, that is, the average of the middle market quotations for those shares on the London Stock Exchange plc, as derived from the Daily Official List, on the day on which such shares are first quoted ex the relevant dividend and the four subsequent dealing days; or
- (ii) calculated in any other manner specified by the Resolution,
but shall never be less than the par value of the new share.
A certificate or report by the auditors as to the value of a new share in respect of any dividend shall be conclusive evidence of that value;
- (c) on or as soon as practicable after announcing that any dividend is to be declared or recommended, the board, if it intends to offer an election in respect of that dividend, shall also announce that intention. If, after determining the basis of allotment, the board decides to proceed with the offer, it shall notify the holders of shares of the terms and conditions of the right of election offered to them, specifying the procedure to be followed and place at which, and the latest time by which, elections or notices amending or terminating existing elections must be delivered in order to be effective;
- (d) the board shall not proceed with any election unless the board has sufficient authority to allot shares and sufficient reserves or funds that may be appropriated to give effect to it after the basis of allotment is determined;
- (e) the board may exclude from any offer any holders of shares where the board believes the making of the offer to them would or might involve the contravention of the laws of any territory or that for any other reason the offer should not be made to them;
- (f) the dividend (or that part of the dividend in respect of which a right of election has been offered) shall not be payable in cash on shares in respect of which an election has been made (the elected shares) and instead such number of new shares shall be allotted to each holder of elected shares as is arrived at on the basis stated in paragraph (b) of this Article. For that purpose the board shall appropriate out of any amount for the time being standing to the credit of any reserve or fund (including without limitation the profit and loss account), whether or not it is available for distribution, a sum equal to the aggregate nominal amount of the new shares to be allotted and apply it in paying up in full the appropriate number of new shares for allotment and distribution to each holder of elected shares as is arrived at on the basis stated in paragraph (b) of this Article;
- (g) the new shares when allotted shall rank equally in all respects with the fully paid shares of the same class then in issue except that they shall not be entitled to participate in the relevant dividend;
- (h) no fraction of a share shall be allotted. The board may make such provision as it thinks fit for any fractional entitlements including without limitation payment in cash to holders in respect of their fractional entitlements, provision for the accrual, retention or accumulation of all or part of the benefit of fractional entitlements to or by the Company or to or by or on behalf of any holder or the application of any accrual, retention or accumulation to the allotment of fully paid shares to any holder;
- (i) the board may do all acts and things it considers necessary or expedient to give effect to the allotment and issue of any share pursuant to this Article or otherwise in connection with any offer made pursuant to this Article and may authorise any person, acting on behalf of the holders concerned, to enter into an agreement with the Company providing for such allotment or issue and incidental matters. Any agreement made under such authority shall be effective and binding on all concerned; and
- (j) the board may, at its discretion, amend, suspend or terminate any offer pursuant to this Article.
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- The board may deduct from any dividend or other moneys payable to any member in respect of a share any moneys presently payable by the member to the Company in respect of that share. Where a person is entitled by transmission to a share, the board may retain any dividend payable in respect of that share until that person (or that person's transferee) becomes the holder of that share. Permitted deductions and retentions
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(a) The Company may pay any dividend or other sum payable in respect of a share by such method as the board may decide. The board may decide to use different methods of payment for different holders or groups of holders. Without limiting any other method of payment which the board may decide upon, the board may decide that payment can be made, wholly or partly and exclusively or optionally:
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(i) by cheque or dividend warrant payable to the holder (or, in the case of joint holders, the holder whose name stands first in the register in respect of the relevant share) or to such other person as the holder (or, in the case of joint holders, all the joint holders) may notify to the Company for the purpose; or
- (ii) by a bank or other funds transfer system or by such other electronic means as the board may decide (including, in the case of an uncertificated share, a relevant system) to such account as the holder (or, in the case of joint holders, all the joint holders) may notify to the Company for the purpose; or
- (iii) in such other way as may be agreed between the Company and the holder (or, in the case of joint holders, all such holders).
Procedure for
payment to holders and others entitled (b) If the board decides that payment of any dividend or other sum payable in respect of a share will be made exclusively by one or more of the methods referred to in paragraph (a)(ii) above to an account, but no such account is nominated by the holder (or, in case of joint holders, all the joint holders) or if an attempted payment into a nominated account is rejected or refunded, the Company may treat that dividend or other sum payable as unclaimed.
Joint entitlement
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If two or more persons are registered as joint holders of any share, or are entitled by transmission jointly to a share, the Company may:
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(a) pay any dividend or other moneys payable in respect of the share to any one of them and any one of them may give effectual receipt for that payment; and
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(b) for the purpose of Article 190, rely in relation to the share on the written direction, designation or agreement of, or notice to the Company by, any one of them.
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A cheque or warrant may be sent by post: Payment by post
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(a) where a share is held by a sole holder, to the registered address of the holder of the share; or
- (b) if two or more persons are the holders, to the registered address of the person who is first named in the register; or
- (c) if a person is entitled by transmission to the share, as if it were a notice to be sent under Article 209; or
- (d) in any case, to such person and to such address as the person entitled to payment may direct by notice to the Company.
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- Payment of a cheque or warrant by the bank on which it was drawn or the transfer of funds by the bank instructed to make the transfer or, in respect of an uncertificated share, the making of payment in accordance with the facilities and requirements of the relevant system (which, if the relevant system is CREST, may include the sending by the Company or by any person on its behalf of an instruction to the Operator of the relevant system to credit the cash memorandum account of the holder or joint holders or, if permitted by the Company, of such person as the holder or joint holders may in writing direct) shall be a good discharge to the Company. Every cheque or warrant sent or transfer of funds made by the relevant bank or system in accordance with these Articles shall be at the risk of the holder or person entitled. The Company shall have no responsibility for any sums lost or delayed in the course of payment by any method used by the Company in accordance with Article 190. Discharge to Company and risk
194. No dividend or other moneys payable in respect of a share shall bear interest against the Company unless otherwise provided by the rights attached to the share. Interest not payable
195. Any dividend which has remained unclaimed for 12 years from the date when it became due for payment shall, if the board so resolves, be forfeited and cease to remain owing by the Company. The payment of any unclaimed dividend or other Forfeiture of unclaimed dividends
moneys payable in respect of a share may (but need not) be paid by the Company into an account separate from the Company's own account. Such payment shall not constitute the Company a trustee in respect of it. The Company shall be entitled to cease sending dividend warrants and cheques by post or otherwise to a member if those instruments have been returned undelivered, or left uncashed by that member, on at least two consecutive occasions, or, following one such occasion, reasonable enquiries have failed to establish the member's new address. The entitlement conferred on the Company by this Article in respect of any member shall cease if the member claims a dividend or cashes a dividend warrant or cheque. If the Company exercises its power of sale in accordance with Article 219, all dividends and other such moneys payable on that share shall be forfeited and cease to remain owing by the Company.
196. [This Article has been deleted.]
CAPITALISATION OF PROFITS AND RESERVES
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- The board may with the authority of an ordinary resolution of the Company:
- (a) subject to the provisions of this Article, resolve to capitalise any undistributed profits of the Company not required for paying any preferential dividend (whether or not they are available for distribution) or any sum standing to the credit of any reserve or other fund, including without limitation the Company's share premium account and capital redemption reserve, if any;
- (b) appropriate the sum resolved to be capitalised to the members or any class of members on the record date specified in the relevant resolution who would have been entitled to it if it were distributed by way of dividend and in the same proportions;
- (c) apply that sum on their behalf either in or towards paying up the amounts, if any, for the time being unpaid on any shares held by them respectively, or in paying up in full shares, debentures or other obligations of the Company of a nominal amount equal to that sum but the share premium account, the capital redemption reserve, and any profits which are not available for distribution may, for the purposes of this Article, only be applied in paying up shares to be allotted to members credited as fully paid;
- (d) allot the shares, debentures or other obligations credited as fully paid to those members, or as they may direct, in those proportions, or partly in one way and partly in the other;
- (e) where shares or debentures become, or would otherwise become, distributable under this Article in fractions, make such provision as they think fit for any fractional entitlements including without limitation authorising their sale and transfer to any person, resolving that the distribution be made as nearly as practicable in the correct proportion but not exactly so, ignoring fractions altogether or resolving that cash payments be made to any members in order to adjust the rights of all parties;
Power to capitalise
- (f) authorise any person to enter into an agreement with the Company on behalf of all the members concerned providing for either:
- (i) the allotment to the members respectively, credited as fully paid, of any shares, debentures or other obligations to which they are entitled on the capitalisation; or
- (ii) the payment up by the Company on behalf of the members of the amounts, or any part of the amounts, remaining unpaid on their existing shares by the application of their respective proportions of the sum resolved to be capitalised,
and any agreement made under that authority shall be binding on all such members;
- (g) generally do all acts and things required to give effect to the ordinary resolution; and
- (h) for the purposes of this Article, unless the relevant resolution provides otherwise, if the Company holds treasury shares of the relevant class at the record date specified in the relevant resolution, it shall be treated as if it were entitled to receive the dividends in respect of those treasury shares which would have been payable if those treasury shares had been held by a person other than the Company.
- 197A. (a) This Article (which is without prejudice to the generality of the provisions of the immediately preceding article) applies where, pursuant to an employees' share scheme:
- (i) a person is granted a right to acquire shares in the Company for no payment or at a price less than their nominal value; or
- (ii) the terms on which any person is entitled to acquire shares in the Company are adjusted so that the price payable to acquire them is less than their nominal value,
and the relevant shares are to be subscribed.
- (b) In any such case the board:
- (i) may, without requiring any further authority of the Company in general meeting, at any time transfer to a reserve account a sum (the reserve amount) which is equal to the amount required to pay up the nominal value of the shares in full, after taking into account the amount (if any) payable by the person from the profits or reserves of the Company which are available for distribution and not required for the payment of any preferential dividend; and
Power to capitaliseemployees' share schemes
- (ii) (subject to paragraph (d) below) will not apply the reserve amount for any purpose other than paying up the nominal value on the allotment of the relevant shares.
- (c) Whenever the Company allots shares to a person pursuant to a right described in Article 197A. (a), the board will (subject to the Statutes) appropriate to capital the amount of the reserve amount necessary to pay up the nominal value of those shares in full, after taking into account the amount (if any) payable by the person, apply that amount in paying up the nominal value of those shares in full and allot those shares credited as fully paid to the person entitled to them.
- (d) If any person ceases to be entitled to acquire shares as described in Article 197A. (a), the restrictions on the reserve amount will cease to apply in relation to the part of that amount (if any) applicable to those shares.
RECORD DATES
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Notwithstanding any other provision of these Articles, the Company or the board may: Record dates for dividends etc.
-
(a) fix any date as the record date for any dividend, distribution, allotment or issue, which may be on or at any time before or after any date on which the dividend, distribution, allotment or issue is declared, paid or made;
- (b) for the purpose of determining which persons are entitled to attend and vote at a general meeting of the Company, or a separate general meeting of the holders of any class of shares in the capital of the Company, and how many votes such persons may cast, specify in the notice of meeting a time, not more than 48 hours before the time fixed for the meeting (which shall, if the board so specifies, be calculated taking no account of any part of a day that is not a working day), by which a person must be entered on the register in order to have the right to attend or vote at the meeting; changes to the register after the time specified by virtue of this Article shall be disregarded in determining the rights of any person to attend or vote at the meeting; and
- (c) for the purpose of sending notices of general meetings of the Company, or separate general meetings of the holders of any class of shares in the capital of the Company, under these Articles, determine that persons entitled to receive such notices are those persons entered on the register at the close of business on a day determined by the Company or the board, which day may not be more than 21 days before the day that notices of the meeting are sent.
ACCOUNTS
- No member shall (as such) have any right to inspect any accounting records or other book or document of the Company except as conferred by statute or authorised by the board or by ordinary resolution of the Company or order of a court of competent jurisdiction. Rights to inspect records
Sending of annual accounts 200. Subject to the Companies Acts, a copy of the Company's annual accounts and reports for that financial year shall, at least 21 clear days before the date of the meeting at which copies of those documents are to be laid in accordance with the provisions of the Companies Acts, be sent to every member and to every holder of the Company's debentures, and to every person who is entitled to receive notice of meetings from the Company under the provisions of the Companies Acts or of these Articles or, in the case of joint holders of any share or debenture, to one of the joint holders. A copy need not be sent to a person for whom the Company does not have a current address.
Strategic report with supplementary material
- Subject to the Companies Acts, the requirements of Article 200 shall be deemed satisfied in relation to any person by sending to the person, instead of such copies, a strategic report with supplementary material which shall be in the form and containing the information prescribed by the Companies Acts and any regulations made under the Companies Acts.
COMMUNICATIONS
- Any notice to be sent to or by any person pursuant to these Articles (other than a notice calling a meeting of the board) shall be in writing. When notice required to be in writing
Methods of Company sending notice, document or information
- Subject to Article 202 and unless otherwise provided by these Articles, the Company shall send or supply a document or information that is required or authorised to be sent or supplied to a member or any other person by the Company by a provision of the Companies Acts or pursuant to these Articles or to any other rules or regulations to which the Company may be subject in such form and by such means as it may in its absolute discretion determine (including by means of a website) provided that the provisions of the Act which apply to sending or supplying a document or information required or authorised to be sent or supplied by the Companies Acts shall, the necessary changes having been made, also apply to sending or supplying any document or information required or authorised to be sent by these Articles or any other rules or regulations to which the Company may be subject.
Methods of member etc. sending document or information
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Subject to Article 202 and unless otherwise provided by these Articles, a member or a person entitled by transmission to a share shall send a document or information pursuant to these Articles to the Company in such form and by such means as it may in its absolute discretion determine provided that:
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(a) the determined form and means are permitted by the Companies Acts for the purpose of sending or supplying a document or information of that type to a company pursuant to a provision of the Companies Acts; and
- (b) unless the board otherwise permits, any applicable condition or limitation specified in the Companies Acts, including without limitation as to the address to which the document or information may be sent, is satisfied.
Unless otherwise provided by these Articles or required by the board, such document or information shall be authenticated in the manner specified by the Companies Acts for authentication of a document or information sent in the relevant form.
- In the case of joint holders of a share any document or information shall be sent to the joint holder whose name stands first in the register in respect of the joint holding and any document or information so sent shall be deemed for all purposes sent to all the joint holders. Notice to joint holders
Registered address outside the United Kingdom
-
A member whose registered address is not within the United Kingdom and who sends to the Company an address within the United Kingdom at which a document or information may be sent to that member shall be entitled to have the document or information sent to the member concerned at that address (provided that, in the case of a document or information sent by electronic means, including without limitation any notification required by the Companies Acts that the document or information is available on a website, the Company so agrees, which agreement the Company shall be entitled to withhold in its absolute discretion including, without limitation, in circumstances in which the Company considers that the sending of the document or information to such address using electronic means would or might infringe the laws of any other jurisdiction) but otherwise:
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(a) no such member shall be entitled to receive any document or information from the Company; and
- (b) without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, any notice of a general meeting of the Company which is in fact sent or purports to be sent to such member shall be ignored for the purpose of determining the validity of the proceedings at such general meeting.
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- A member present, either in person or by proxy, at any meeting of the Company or of the holders of any class of shares in the capital of the Company shall be deemed to have been sent notice of the meeting and, where requisite, of the purposes for which it was called. Deemed receipt of notice
Terms and conditions for electronic communications
Notice to persons entitled by transmission
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The board may from time to time issue, endorse or adopt terms and conditions relating to the use of electronic means for the sending of notices, other documents and proxy appointments by the Company to members or persons entitled by transmission and by members or persons entitled by transmission to the Company.
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A document or information may be sent or supplied by the Company to the person or persons entitled by transmission to a share by sending it in any manner the Company may choose authorised by these Articles for the sending of a document or information to a member, addressed to them by name, or by the title of representative of the deceased, or trustee of the bankrupt or by any similar description at the address (if any) in the United Kingdom as may be supplied for that purpose by or on behalf of the person or persons claiming to be so entitled. Until such an address has been supplied, a document or information may be sent in any manner in which it might have been sent if the death or bankruptcy or other event giving rise to the transmission had not occurred.
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Every person who becomes entitled to a share shall be bound by any notice in respect of that share which, before that person's name is entered in the register, has been sent to a person from whom that person derives title, provided that no person Transferees etc. bound by prior notice
who becomes entitled by transmission to a share shall be bound by any direction notice sent under Article 98 to a person from whom that person derives title.
Proof of sending/when notices etc. deemed sent by post
- Proof that a document or information was properly addressed, prepaid and put into the post shall be conclusive evidence that the document or information was sent or supplied. Any document or information, if sent by first class post or special delivery, shall be deemed to have been received on the day following that on which the envelope containing it is put into the post, or, if sent by second class post, shall be deemed to have been received on the second day following that on which the envelope containing it is put into the post.
When notices etc. deemed sent by hand
Proof of sending/when notices etc. deemed sent by electronic means be deemed to have been received by the member when it is handed to the member or left at that member's registered address or an address notified to the Company in accordance with Article 206. 213. Proof that a document or information sent or supplied by electronic means was
- A document or information sent by the Company to a member by hand shall
properly addressed shall be conclusive evidence that the document or information was sent or supplied. A document or information sent or supplied by the Company to a member in electronic form shall be deemed to have been received by the member on the day following that on which the document or information was sent to the member. Such a document or information shall be deemed received by the member on that day notwithstanding that the Company becomes aware that the member has failed to receive the relevant document or information for any reason and notwithstanding that the Company subsequently sends a hard copy of such document or information by post to the member.
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A document or information sent or supplied by the Company to a member by means of a website shall be deemed to have been received by the member: When notices etc. deemed sent
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(a) when the document or information was first made available on the website; or
- (b) if later, when the member is deemed by Article 211, 212 or 213 to have received notice of the fact that the document or information was available on the website. Such a document or information shall be deemed received by the member on that day notwithstanding that the Company becomes aware that the member has failed to receive the relevant document or information for any reason and notwithstanding that the Company subsequently sends a hard copy of such document or information by post to the member.
No entitlement to receive notice etc if Company has no current address
by website
- A member shall not be entitled to receive any document or information that is required or authorised to be sent or supplied to the member by the Company by a provision of the Companies Acts or pursuant to these Articles or to any other rules or regulations to which the Company may be subject if documents or information sent or supplied to that member by post in accordance with the Articles have been returned undelivered to the Company:
(a) on at least two consecutive occasions; or
(b) on one occasion and reasonable enquiries have failed to establish the member's address.
Without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, any notice of a general meeting of the Company which is in fact sent or purports to be sent to such member shall be ignored for the purpose of determining the validity of the proceedings at such general meeting.
Subject to Article 206, a member to whom this Article applies shall become entitled to receive such documents or information when the member has given the Company an address to which they may be sent or supplied.
- Subject to the Companies Acts, if at any time the Company is unable effectively to convene a general meeting by notices sent through the post in the United Kingdom as a result of the suspension or curtailment of postal services, notice of general meeting may be sufficiently given by advertisement in the United Kingdom. Any notice given by advertisement for the purpose of this Article shall be advertised in at least one newspaper having a national circulation. If advertised in more than one newspaper, the advertisements shall appear on the same date. Such notice shall be deemed to have been sent to all persons who are entitled to have notice of meetings sent to them on the day when the advertisement appears. In any such case, the Company shall send confirmatory copies of the notice (or, as the case may be, notification of the website notice) by post, if at least seven days before the meeting the posting of notices (and notifications) to addresses throughout the United Kingdom again becomes practicable. Notice during disruption of services
DESTRUCTION OF DOCUMENTS
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- The Company shall be entitled to destroy:
- (a) all instruments of transfer of shares which have been registered, and all other documents on the basis of which any entry is made in the register, at any time after the expiration of six years from the date of registration;
- (b) all dividend mandates, variations or cancellations of dividend mandates, and notifications of change of address at any time after the expiration of two years from the date of recording;
- (c) all share certificates which have been cancelled at any time after the expiration of one year from the date of the cancellation;
- (d) all paid dividend warrants and cheques at any time after the expiration of one year from the date of actual payment;
- (e) all proxy appointments which have been used for the purpose of a poll at any time after the expiration of one year from the date of use; and
- (f) all proxy appointments which have not been used for the purpose of a poll at any time after one month from the end of the meeting to which the proxy appointment relates and at which no poll was demanded.
Power of Company to destroy documents
Presumption in relation to destroyed documents
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- It shall conclusively be presumed in favour of the Company that:
- (a) every entry in the register purporting to have been made on the basis of an instrument of transfer or other document destroyed in accordance with Article 217 was duly and properly made;
- (b) every instrument of transfer destroyed in accordance with Article 217 was a valid and effective instrument duly and properly registered;
- (c) every share certificate destroyed in accordance with Article 217 was a valid and effective certificate duly and properly cancelled; and
- (d) every other document destroyed in accordance with Article 217 was a valid and effective document in accordance with its recorded particulars in the books or records of the Company,
but:
- (e) the provisions of this Article and Article 217 apply only to the destruction of a document in good faith and without notice of any claim (regardless of the parties) to which the document might be relevant;
- (f) nothing in this Article or Article 217 shall be construed as imposing on the Company any liability in respect of the destruction of any document earlier than the time specified in Article 217 or in any other circumstances which would not attach to the Company in the absence of this Article or Article 217; and
- (g) any reference in this Article or Article 217 to the destruction of any document includes a reference to its disposal in any manner.
UNTRACED SHAREHOLDERS
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- (a) The Company may sell, in such manner as the board may decide and at the best price it considers to be reasonably obtainable at that time, any share of a member, or any share to which a person is entitled by transmission if:
- (i) during a period of 12 years at least three cash dividends have become payable in respect of the share to be sold;
- (ii) during that period of 12 years no cash dividend payable in respect of the share has been claimed, no cheque, warrant, order or other payment for a dividend has been cashed, no dividend sent by means of a bank or other funds transfer system or other electronic system or means (including, in the case of uncertificated shares, a relevant system) has been paid and no communication has been received by the Company in relation to the shareholding from the member or the person entitled by transmission to the share;
Power to dispose of shares of untraced shareholders
- (iii) on or after the expiry of that period of 12 years the Company has sent, or caused to be sent, a notice to the registered address or last known address the Company has for the member or other person entitled by transmission to the share, giving notice of its intention to sell the share (provided that before sending such a notice, the Company shall have made, or caused to be made, such tracing enquiries for the purpose of contacting that member or other person as the board considers to be reasonable and appropriate in the circumstances); and
- (iv) during the period of three months following the sending of the notice referred to in paragraph (iii) above and after that period until the exercise of the power to sell the share, the Company has not received any communication from the member or the person entitled by transmission to the share.
- (b) The Company's power of sale shall extend to any further share which, on or before the sending of the notice pursuant to paragraph (a)(iii) above, is issued in right of a share to which paragraph (a) above applies (or in right of any share to which this paragraph applies) if the conditions set out in paragraphs (a)(ii) to (iv) above are satisfied in relation to the further share (but as if the words "during that period of 12 years" were omitted from paragraph (a)(ii) and the words "on or after the expiry of that period of 12 years" were omitted from paragraph (a)(iii)).
- (c) In the event that the Company has consolidated, divided, sub-divided, reduced or otherwise altered its share capital in a way which results in a member holding a replacement share or shares (the replacement share), for the purposes of determining the period of 12 years referred to in paragraph (a) above, and for the purposes of paragraph (b), "share" shall be deemed to include any share previously held by the member or the person entitled by transmission in the Company, in respect of which the replacement share in the Company was issued.
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- To give effect to any sale pursuant to Article 219, the board may: Transfer on sale
- (a) where the shares are held in certificated form, authorise any person to execute an instrument of transfer of the shares to, or in accordance with the directions of, the buyer; or
- (b) where the shares are held in uncertificated form, do all acts and things it considers necessary or expedient to effect the transfer of the shares to, or in accordance with the directions of, the buyer.
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- An instrument of transfer executed by that person in accordance with Article 220(a) shall be as effective as if it had been executed by the holder of, or person entitled by transmission to, the shares. An exercise by the Company of its powers in accordance with Article 220(b) shall be as effective as if exercised by the registered holder of or person entitled by transmission to the shares. The transferee shall not be bound to see to the application of the purchase money, and the transferee's title to the Effectiveness of transfer
shares shall not be affected by any irregularity in, or invalidity of, the proceedings in reference to the sale.
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- (a) Subject to paragraph (b) below: Proceeds of sale
- (i) the Company shall account to the person entitled to the share at the date of sale for a sum equal to the net proceeds of sale and shall be deemed to be that person's debtor, and not a trustee for that person, in respect of them;
- (ii) pending payment of the net proceeds of sale to such person, the proceeds may either be employed in the business of the Company or invested in such investments (other than shares of the Company or its holding company, if any) as the board may from time to time decide; and
- (iii) no interest shall be payable in respect of the net proceeds and the Company shall not be required to account for any moneys earned on the net proceeds.
- (b) If no valid claim for the proceeds of a sale has been received by the Company during a period of two years from the date on which the relevant shares were sold pursuant to Article 219, the net proceeds of that sale will be forfeited and will belong to the Company. In these circumstances, the Company will not be liable in any respect to the former member or members or other person who may or would have been entitled to the share or shares by law for the proceeds of sale, and the Company may use the proceeds of sale for any purpose as the board may decide.
WINDING UP
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If the Company is wound up, the liquidator may, with the sanction of a special resolution of the Company and any other sanction required by the Insolvency Act 1986: Liquidator may distribute in specie
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(a) divide among the members in specie the whole or any part of the assets of the Company and may, for that purpose, value any assets and determine how the division shall be carried out as between the members or different classes of members;
- (b) vest the whole or any part of the assets in trustees for the benefit of the members; and
- (c) determine the scope and terms of those trusts,
but no member shall be compelled to accept any asset on which there is a liability.
- The power of sale of a liquidator shall include a power to sell wholly or partially for shares or debentures or other obligations of another body corporate, Disposal of assets by liquidator
either then already constituted or about to be constituted for the purpose of carrying out the sale.
INDEMNITY
Indemnity to directors and officers
- Subject to the provisions of the Companies Acts, but without prejudice to any indemnity to which the person concerned may otherwise be entitled, every director or other officer of the Company (other than any person (whether an officer or not) engaged by the Company as auditor) may be indemnified out of the assets of the Company against any liability incurred by such person for negligence, default, breach of duty or breach of trust in relation to the affairs of the Company, provided that this Article, shall be deemed not to provide for, or entitle any such person to, indemnification to the extent that it would cause this Article, or any element of it, to be treated as void under the Act or otherwise under the Companies Acts.
| PRELIMINARY 1 |
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| SHARE CAPITAL AND LIMITED LIABILITY 4 |
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| VARIATION OF RIGHTS 8 |
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| SHARE CERTIFICATES 8 |
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| LIEN 9 |
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| CALLS ON SHARES 10 |
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| FORFEITURE AND SURRENDER 11 |
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| TRANSFER OF SHARES 12 |
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| TRANSMISSION OF SHARES 13 |
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| ALTERATION OF SHARE CAPITAL 14 |
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| GENERAL MEETINGS 14 |
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| NOTICE OF GENERAL MEETINGS 16 |
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| PROCEEDINGS AT GENERAL MEETINGS 19 |
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| VOTES OF MEMBERS 23 |
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| PROXIES AND CORPORATE REPRESENTATIVES 26 |
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| NUMBER OF DIRECTORS 30 |
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| APPOINTMENT AND RETIREMENT OF DIRECTORS 30 |
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| ALTERNATE DIRECTORS 31 |
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| POWERS OF THE BOARD 33 |
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| DELEGATION OF POWERS OF THE BOARD 33 |
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| DISQUALIFICATION AND REMOVAL OF DIRECTORS 34 |
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| NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS 35 |
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| DIRECTORS' EXPENSES 35 |
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| EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS 36 |
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| DIRECTORS' INTERESTS 36 |
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| GRATUITIES, PENSIONS AND INSURANCE 38 |
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| PROCEEDINGS OF THE BOARD 39 |
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| SECRETARY 43 |
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| MINUTES 43 |
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| THE SEAL 43 |
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| REGISTERS 43 |
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| DIVIDENDS 44 |
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| CAPITALISATION OF PROFITS AND RESERVES 49 |
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| RECORD DATES 51 |
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| ACCOUNTS 51 |
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| COMMUNICATIONS 52 |
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| DESTRUCTION OF DOCUMENTS 55 |
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| UNTRACED SHAREHOLDERS 56 |
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| WINDING UP 58 |
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| INDEMNITY 59 |
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COMPANY NO. 8568957
COMPANIES ACT 2006
A PUBLIC COMPANY LIMITED BY SHARES
ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION
of
JUST GROUP PLC
(adopted by a special resolution passed on 10 May 2022)