Companies Ordinance Cap 32
Section Num: 48A Version Date 03/12/2004
Construction of references to offering shares or debentures to the public
Construction of References to offering Shares or Debentures to the Public(1) Any reference in this Ordinance to offering shares or debentures to the public shall, subject to any provision to the contrary contained therein, be construed as including a reference to offering them to any section of the public, whether selected as members or debenture holders of the company concerned or as clients of the person issuing the prospectus or in any other manner, and references in this Ordinance or in a company's articles to invitations to the public to subscribe for shares or debentures shall, subject as aforesaid, be similarly construed.
(2) Subsection (1) shall not be taken as requiring any offer or invitation to be treated as made to the public if it can properly be regarded, in all the circumstances, as not being calculated to result, directly or indirectly, in the shares or debentures becoming available for subscription or purchase by persons other than those receiving the offer or invitation, or otherwise as being a domestic concern of the persons making and receiving it, and in particular-
(a) a provision in a company's articles prohibiting invitations to the public to subscribe for shares or debentures shall not be taken as prohibiting the making to members or debenture holders of an invitation which can properly be regarded as aforesaid; and
(b) the provisions of this Ordinance relating to private companies shall be construed accordingly.
(3) For the avoidance of doubt, it is hereby declared that the provisions of the Seventeenth Schedule shall not be construed to prejudice the generality of this section. (Added 30 of 2004 s. 2)
(Added 78 of 1972 s. 14)
[cf. 1948 c. 38 s. 55 U.K.]