Basic Concept of Company Law
Basic Concept of Company Law
Basic Concept of Company Law
Content:
Definition of a Company
Legal characteristics of a Company
Kinds of Companies
Formation of a Company.
Definition:
General Definition: A company is an association constituted by a group of persons for the purpose of
carrying on a business, with a view to earning profits. Statutory Definition: Section 2(1) (c) of the
Companies Act, 1994 provides, “Company means company formed and registered under this Act or
any existing company.”
Section 2(1) (h) of the Companies Act, 1994 also provides the meaning of Existing
Company as follows,
“Existing Company means a company formed and registered under any law relating to companies
enforce at any law relating to companies enforce at any time before the commencement of this Act,
and is in operation after commencement of this Act.”
iii. Limited liability: The liability of the members, however, may be either limited
by shares or by guarantee as provided by memorandum of the company.
iv. Separate property: A company has the right to hold and dispose of property as
it’s necessity and a member does not have insurable interest in the property of company. So, when a
company is incorporated, it belongs to separate property.
x. Separate Legal Entity: As a company has separate legal entity and has own
property so, the creditors can realize their money only from the company. The principle of separate
legal entity has been established by the case of Solomon V. Solomon & Co. Ltd.
Kinds of companies
Classification of companies by mode of in corporation:
i. Chartered Companies: The companies which are under royal charter may
be named as chartered companies. Example: The East India Company and the bank of England.
ii. Statutory Companies: Statutory Companies are the companies formed
under the authority of an Act passed by the parliament. They are formed mainly to meet the social
demands and not for earning profits. i.e., Bd Bank, BD Airlines, BRTC, WASA etc.
iii. Registered or Incorporated Company: The register companies may be
either company Limited by Shares or Company Limited by Guarantee.
i. Public Company or
ii. Private Company.
Formation of a Company
For forming a company some procedures are to be followed.
Stages of Forming a Company: The stages of forming a company may be divided into the
following stages:
i. Promotion;
ii. Preparation of documents;
iii. Registration or incorporation;
iv. Capital subscription; and
v. Collection of certificate of incorporation.
Promotion: In the stage, at first one or more persons conceive the idea of forming the company.
Then two person in case of forming private company and seven persons in case of forming public
company are required to be made convene for this purpose
Preparation of documents: The promoters have to prepare at least two important documents:
i. Memorandum of Association [Section 6-8] and
ii. Article of Association [section 17(i), 19]
Registration or Incorporation: If the registrar is satisfied that all the provisions of law have
been complied with then he shall register the document within 30 days [section
23(i)]
Capital subscription: A private company rises capital personally but in case of public company
for rising capital issue of prospectus and other activities are to be performed.