Analysis Of Separate Legal Personality

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A registered company, as an artificial person is separate from its members and exists only by virtue of the Companies Act under which it is incorporated. When a business is incorporated, it becomes a separate legal entity and, therefore, can be sued and sue without affecting the shareholders personal assets. This was established in “Salomon v A Salomon Co.Ltd”. Separate legal personality is known as the veil of Incorporation. This protects the shareholder and places the responsibility of the company onto the directors. These duties are outlined in the Companies act 2014. Ireland argues that the “corporate form was, and in large part is, a political construct developed to accommodate and protect the rentier investor and which institutionalises …show more content…

The concept of limited liability promotes recklessness and irresponsible risk taking. The argument for the return of unlimited liability is also an argument for separate legal personality to be taken less seriously. It is believed that, should it happen, would “eradicate the problem of corporate irresponsibility and unaccountability by identifying corporations more closely with their shareholders, encouraging a shift towards the older concept of ‘the company’ as an aggregation of …show more content…

He goes on to explain how they are treated as completely separate from the companies in which they hold shares and receive dividends yet they are not responsible for the company’s debts or liabilities. Furthermore, the companies in which the hold shares must be run in their best interests. Therefore, the interests of the company, which is a separate legal entity, is directly linked with those of the shareholders. “The law treats separate legal personality very seriously in some contexts (shareholders liabilities) while ignoring it in others (shareholder primacy, shareholder control rights). “Corporate form was, and in large part is, a political construct developed to accommodate and protect the rentier investor and which institutionalises irresponsibility”. From Irelands arguments, I agree with this statement. Rentier Investors, are protected legally by having no legal obligations through limited liability whilst also having the company run in their best

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