UK Act of Parliament 2020 United Kingdom

Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020

What this means for your business

3 obligations
3 penalties
1 guides
Enforced by
Companies House
Applies to
United Kingdom
On this page
3 compliance obligations, 1 practical guide
Read full text on legislation.gov.uk

What you must do

3 compliance obligations under this legislation.

Offences and prohibitions 3

Fail to notify monitor of moratorium start

If a company’s directors do not tell the appointed monitor as soon as reasonably practicable that a moratorium has begun, each director who cannot show a reasonable excuse commits a criminal offence.

Director/Officer s.4 Companies House

Fail to notify monitor when moratorium starts

If the directors do not tell the appointed monitor, as soon as reasonably practicable, that a moratorium has come into force, any director who cannot show a reasonable excuse commits a criminal offence. The offence is punishable under the Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act, but the exact fine or custodial sentence is set elsewhere in the legislation.

Director/Officer s.1 Companies House

Fail to provide required explanatory statement for compromise meeting

Unlimited fine

If your company arranges a creditors or members’ meeting about a compromise or reconstruction and does not attach the required explanatory statement to the meeting notice, or does not give a free copy of that statement when requested, the company and any officer who is in default commit an offence. On conviction you face an unlimited fine; there is no custodial sentence.

Director/Officer Schedule 9 Companies House

Penalties for non-compliance

3 penalties under this legislation. 1 carry an unlimited fine.

Unlimited fine

Fail to provide required explanatory statement for compromise meeting

Unlimited fine

Either way Schedule 9 Penalises: Fail to provide required explanatory statement for compromise …
Fine

Fail to notify monitor of moratorium start

Penalty applies

s.4 Penalises: Fail to notify monitor of moratorium start
Fine

Fail to notify monitor when moratorium starts

Penalty applies

s.1 Penalises: Fail to notify monitor when moratorium starts

Practical guidance

Our guides explain how to comply with the requirements above.

Sections and provisions

64 classified provisions from this legislation.

Duties 2

  • s.23 Time-limited effect The Secretary of State
  • s.31 Time-limited effect A relevant authority

Offences and penalties 4

  • s.1 Moratoriums in Great Britain
  • s.4 Moratoriums in Northern Ireland
  • s.30 Restrictions
  • Schedule 9 Arrangements and reconstructions for companies in financial difficulty

Powers 11

  • s.20 Regulations to amend legislation: Great Britain
  • s.21 Purposes
  • s.22 Restrictions
  • s.24 Expiry
  • s.25 Consequential provision etc
  • s.28 Regulations to amend legislation: Northern Ireland
  • s.33 Consequential provision etc
  • s.39 Temporary power to extend periods for providing information to registrar
  • s.41 Power to change duration of temporary provisions: Great Britain
  • s.47 Power to make consequential provision
  • Schedule 2 Moratoriums in Great Britain: contracts involving financial services

Definitions 10

  • s.2 Moratoriums in Great Britain: further amendments and transition
  • s.5 Moratoriums in Northern Ireland: further amendments and transition statutory provision
  • Schedule 6 Moratoriums in Northern Ireland: contracts involving financial services contract or other instrument involving financial services Financial contract Securities financing transaction
  • s.27 Interpretation coronavirus corporate insolvency or governance legislation corporate insolvency or restructuring procedure
  • s.36 Interpretation coronavirus corporate insolvency or governance legislation corporate insolvency or restructuring procedure
  • s.40 Section 39: the listed provisions
  • s.42 Power to change duration of temporary provisions: Northern Ireland coronavirus relevant provision the Assembly
  • s.45 Modified procedure for regulations of the Scottish Ministers relevant provision regulations that are subject to the made affirmative procedure
  • Schedule 11 RESTRICTION ON WINDING-UP PETITIONS: NORTHERN IRELAND relevant period the 1989 Order coronavirus
  • Schedule 14 Meetings of companies and other bodies qualifying body relevant period the appropriate national authority

Exemptions 12

  • Schedule 10 Restriction on Winding-Up Petitions: Great Britain
  • s.12 Suspension of liability for wrongful trading: Great Britain
  • Schedule 12 Protection of supplies of goods and services: Great Britain
  • s.13 Suspension of liability for wrongful trading: Northern Ireland
  • s.14 Protection of supplies of goods and services: Great Britain
  • s.15 Temporary exclusion for small suppliers: Great Britain
  • s.18 Protection of supplies of goods and services: Northern Ireland
  • s.19 Temporary exclusion for small suppliers: Northern Ireland
  • s.34 Procedure for regulations made by the Department
  • s.43 Modified procedure for regulations of the Secretary of State
  • s.44 Modified procedure for regulations of the Welsh Ministers
  • Schedule 13 Protection of supplies of goods and services: Northern Ireland