Chapter: 32 COMPANIES ORDINANCE
Section Num: 165 Version Date 13/02/2004
Provisions as to liability of officers and auditors
Avoidance of Provisions in Articles or Contracts relieving Officers from Liability
(1) Any provision, whether contained in the articles of a company or in any contract with a company or otherwise, for exempting any officer of the company or any person employed by the company as auditor from, or indemnifying him against, any liability to the company or a related company that by virtue of any rule of law would otherwise attach to him in respect of any negligence, default, breach of duty or breach of trust of which he may be guilty in relation to the company or related company shall, subject to subsections (2) to (4), be void.
(2) A company may indemnify any officer of the company, or any person employed by the company as auditor, against any liability incurred by him-
(a) in defending any proceedings, whether civil or criminal, in which judgment is given in his favour or in which he is acquitted; or
(b) in connection with any application under section 358 in which relief is granted to him by the court.
(3) A company may purchase and maintain for any officer of the company, or any person employed by the company as auditor-
(a) insurance against any liability to the company, a related company or any other party in respect of any negligence, default, breach of duty or breach of trust (save for fraud) of which he may be guilty in relation to the company or a related company; and
(b) insurance against any liability incurred by him in defending any proceedings, whether civil or criminal, taken against him for any negligence, default, breach of duty or breach of trust (including fraud) of which he may be guilty in relation to the company or a related company.
(4) Nothing in this section shall operate to deprive any person of any exemption or right to be indemnified in respect of anything done or omitted to be done by him while any such provision as is mentioned in subsection (1) was in force.
(5) In this section, "related company", in relation to a company, means any company that is the company's subsidiary or holding company or a subsidiary of that company's holding company. (Replaced 28 of 2003 s. 73)