Companies Act - Singapore Statutes Online

Personal remedies in cases of oppression or injustice

216.—(1) Any member or holder of a debenture of a company or, in the case of a declared company under Part IX, the Minister may apply to the Court for an order under this section on the ground —

(a)	that the affairs of the company are being conducted or the powers of the directors are being exercised in a manner oppressive to one or more of the members or holders of debentures including himself or in disregard of his or their interests as members, shareholders or holders of debentures of the company; or
(b)	that some act of the company has been done or is threatened or that some resolution of the members, holders of debentures or any class of them has been passed or is proposed which unfairly discriminates against or is otherwise prejudicial to one or more of the members or holders of debentures (including himself). [13/87; 22/93]

(2) If on such application the Court is of the opinion that either of such grounds is established the Court may, with a view to bringing to an end or remedying the matters complained of, make such order as it thinks fit and, without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, the order may —

(a)	direct or prohibit any act or cancel or vary any transaction or resolution;
(b)	regulate the conduct of the affairs of the company in future;
(c)	authorise civil proceedings to be brought in the name of or on behalf of the company by such person or persons and on such terms as the Court may direct;
(d)	provide for the purchase of the shares or debentures of the company by other members or holders of debentures of the company or by the company itself;
(e)	in the case of a purchase of shares by the company provide for a reduction accordingly of the company’s capital; or
(f)	provide that the company be wound up. [15/84]

(3) Where an order that the company be wound up is made pursuant to subsection (2)(f), the provisions of the Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act 2018 relating to winding up of a company shall, with such adaptations as are necessary, apply as if the order had been made upon an application duly made to the Court by the company.

[42/2005]

[Act 40 of 2018 wef 30/07/2020]

(4) Where an order under this section makes any alteration in or addition to any company’s constitution, then, notwithstanding anything in any other provision of this Act, but subject to the provisions of the order, the company concerned shall not have power, without the leave of the Court, to make any further alteration in or addition to the constitution inconsistent with the provisions of the order; but subject to the foregoing provisions of this subsection the alterations or additions made by the order shall be of the same effect as if duly made by resolution of the company.

[Act 36 of 2014 wef 03/01/2016]

(5) A copy of any order made under this section shall be lodged by the applicant with the Registrar within 14 days after the making of the order.

[12/2002]

(6) Any person who fails to comply with subsection (5) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $1,000 and also to a default penalty.

[15/84]

(7) This section shall apply to a person who is not a member of a company but to whom shares in the company have been transmitted by operation of law as it applies to members of a company; and references to a member or members shall be construed accordingly.

[15/84; 13/87]

[UK, 1948, s. 210; Aust., 1961, s. 186]

Search within Legislation