Table A in
UK company law
British company law regulates corporations formed under the Companies Act 2006. Also governed by the Insolvency Act 1986, the UK Corporate Governance Code, European Union Directive (European Union), Directives and court cases, the company is th ...
is the old name for the
Model Articles or default form of
articles of association
In corporate governance, a company's articles of association (AoA, called articles of incorporation in some jurisdictions) is a document that, along with the memorandum of association (where applicable), forms the company's constitution. The ...
for
companies limited by shares incorporated either in England and Wales or in Scotland before 1 October 2009 where the incorporators do not explicitly choose to use a modified form. Table A was first introduced by the
Joint Stock Companies Act 1856 (as 'Table B'), and then under its current name of 'Table A' by the
Companies Act 1862
The Companies Act 1862 ( 25 & 26 Vict. c. 89) was an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom regulating UK company law, whose descendant is the Companies Act 2006.
Provisions
*s 6 'Any seven or more persons associated for any lawful purpos ...
.
The existing form of Table A was introduced in 1985 by the
subsidiary legislation passed under the
Companies Act 1985, although it has been updated on several occasions since its introduction.
Although Table A is the most frequently referred to, relating to generic companies limited by shares (the most common form), there are also pro forma constitutional documents for
companies limited by guarantee without a share capital (Table C) and
unlimited liability companies with a share capital (Table E).
One advantage of having standard form constitutional documents for the bulk of companies formed within a jurisdiction is that a substantial body of case law has arisen in relation to the forms, which assists legal practitioners when preparing more bespoke forms of constitutional documents for businesses.
Table A has been replaced for new companies by the simplified and modernised
Companies Act 2006
The Companies Act 2006 (c. 46) is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which forms the primary source of UK company law.
The act was brought into force in stages, with the final provision being commenced on 1 October 2009. It largel ...
Model Articles which came into force on 1 October 2009. However, it still remains valid for Companies incorporated under the
Companies Act 1985 in the form it existed at the time of incorporation of the company. For example, Article 50 regarding the Chairman's casting vote was removed from Table A in 2007. However, if this right existed in a Company's articles due to incorporation before this date it remains valid.
[Sch 3 para 23A Companies Act 2006 (Commencement No. 3, Consequential Amendments, Transitional Provisions and Savings) Order 2007/2194 (see sch 5 para 2(5) Companies Act 2006 (Commencement No. 5, Transitional Provisions and Savings) Order 2007/3495)]
References
{{Reflist
External links
Table A under the Companies Act 1862Table A for Private Companies
(as amended up to October 2007)
Table A for Public Companies
(as amended up to October 2007)
Table C
(as amended up to October 2007)
United Kingdom company law