This chapter considers whose acts are the acts of the company for the purposes of determining the rights and liabilities of the company. The chapter examines corporate liability in contract and in tort including directors’ personal liability in tort. The attribution of liability for criminal offences is considered in detail addressing the common law and the recent statutory reforms. These provide for a senior manager regime and a new offence of failure to prevent fraud. The chapter also considers attribution in the context of a breach of directors’ duties and the availability of an illegality defence.
Chapter
4. Rules of attribution—corporate acts and liabilities
Chapter
4. Rules of attribution—corporate acts and liabilities
This chapter looks at identifying whose acts are the acts of the company for the purposes of determining the rights and liabilities of the company, given that the company is an artificial legal entity. There are several distinct rules of attribution which may assist in this context. The chapter examines corporate liability in contract, corporate liability in tort, and criminal liability of the company. The chapter addresses the debate between the traditional approach to attribution, relying on directing mind and will theory, (especially in criminal matters) and the more purposive approach being adopted in civil matters. Attribution in the case of the wrongdoing director is considered as well as the application of an illegality defence.
Book
Sarah Worthington and Sinéad Agnew
Sealy & Worthington’s Cases and Materials in Company Law clearly explains the fundamental structure of company law and provides a concise introduction to each different aspect of the subject. The materials are carefully selected and well supported by commentary so that the logic of the doctrinal or policy argument is unambiguously laid out. Notes and questions appear periodically throughout the text to provoke persistent analysis and debate, and to enable students to test their understanding of the issues as the topics unfold. This text covers a wide range of sources, and provides intelligent and thought-provoking commentary in a succinct format. It is invaluable to all those who need vital materials and expert observations on company law in one volume. This twelfth edition brings: improved chapter order and location of materials; the incorporation of changes necessitated by Brexit; complete updating of statutory, regulatory and case law materials, including by the Corporate Governance and Insolvency Act 2020 and the many changes and additions to corporate governance codes requiring ‘apply and explain’ and ‘comply or explain’ adherence; major rewriting of Chapter 3 (Corporate Activity and Legal Liability) in the light of significant Supreme Court cases; expansion of Chapter 6 (Corporate Governance) and Chapter 9 (Company Auditors), along with additional coverage of shareholder remedies (Chapter 8), including coverage of Sevilleja v Marex Financial Ltd (2020, SC) and new cases on statutory derivative actions; and additional coverage of insolvency issues.
