Form
20-F X
|
Form
40-F
|
Yes
|
No X
|
Yes
|
No X
|
Yes
|
No X
|
Number
|
Description
of Exhibit
|
3.1
|
Memorandum
of Association of Icon Public Limited Company (as amended by Special
Resolution up to and including 21st
July 2008)
|
3.2
|
Articles
of Association of Icon Public Limited Company (as amended by Special
Resolution up to and including 21st
July 2008)
|
ICON
plc
|
||
December 5, 2008
|
/s/ Ciaran Murray
|
|
Date
|
Ciaran
Murray
|
|
Chief
Financial Officer
|
1.
|
The
name of the Company is Icon Public Limited
Company.
|
2.
|
The
Company is to be a public limited
company.
|
3.
|
The
objects for which the Company is established
are:-
|
(1)
|
To
carry on the business of an investment holding company and for that
purpose to subscribe for, take, purchase or otherwise acquire and hold
either in the name of the Company or in that of any nominee shares,
stocks, debentures, debenture stock, bonds, notes, obligations and
securities issued or guaranteed by any company wherever incorporated or
carrying on business and debentures, debenture stock, bonds, notes,
obligations and securities issued or guaranteed by any government,
sovereign ruler, commissioners, public body or authority, supreme,
dependent, municipal, local or otherwise in any part of the world
generally to carry on business as an investment or holding company;
and
|
(a)
|
to
acquire any such shares, stock, debentures, debenture stock, bonds, notes,
obligations, or securities by public offer, original subscription,
contract, tender, purchase, exchange, underwriting, participation in
syndicates or otherwise, and whether or not fully paid up, and to
subscribe for the same subject to such terms and conditions (if any) as
may be thought fit and to hold, sell or otherwise and generally to sell
exchange or otherwise dispose of deal with or turn to account any of the
assets of the Company or any securities or investments of the Company
acquired or agreed so to be and to invest in or to acquire by repurchase
or otherwise any securities or investments of the kind before enumerated
and to vary the securities and investments of the Company from time to
time;
|
(b)
|
to
exercise and enforce all rights and powers conferred by or incidental to
the ownership of any such shares, stock, obligations, or other securities
including without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing all such
powers of veto or control as may be conferred by virtue of the holding by
the Company of some special proportion of the issued or nominal amount
thereof and to provide managerial and other
executive
|
(c)
|
to
apply for, purchase or otherwise acquire and protect, prolong and renew in
any part of the world, any patents, patent rights, brevets d'invention,
licences, trade marks, technology and know-how, protections, concessions
and the like, conferring any exclusive or non-exclusive or limited right
to use, or any secret or other information as to any invention, process or
privilege which may seem capable of being used for any of the purposes of
the Company, or the acquisition of which may seem calculated directly or
indirectly to benefit the Company, and to use, exercise, develop,
manufacture under or grant licences or privileges in respect thereof or
otherwise turn to account the property, rights and information so
acquired, and to carry on any business in any way connected therewith, and
to expend money in experimenting upon and testing and in improving, or
seeking to improve any patents, inventions or rights which the Company may
acquire or propose to acquire; and
|
(d)
|
to
do all or any of the above things in any part of the world and either as
principals, agents, contractors, trustees or otherwise, and either by or
through trustees, agents, sub-contractors or otherwise and either alone or
in partnership or in conjunction with any person or company, and to
contract for the carrying on of any operation connected with the Company's
business by any person or company.
|
(2)
|
The
carrying out of research in the fields of nutrition and metabolism and
health with particular reference to the facts and problems appertaining to
and effects of drugs, antibiotics, acids, alkalis, pharmaceutical,
medicinal and chemical preparations, articles and compounds (whether of
animal, vegetable or mineral origin), odours, liquids, foods, cosmetics,
perfumes, pigments, oleaginous and vaporaceous substances and the effects
of nutritional or metabolic status on pharmaconkinetics, pharmacodynamics,
bioavailability, bioequivalence and metabolism of
drugs.
|
(3)
|
The
advancement in the knowledge of matters relating to the electromagnetics,
radiation, ecology and environment and the pharmacologic effects of drugs,
cosmetics, food substances, food additives and
beverages.
|
(4)
|
To
make provision and afford facilities for the training of approved persons
with a view to preparing them as research workers in pharmacology,
nutrition and metabolism, to encourage original research and to promote
and grant scholarships and to conduct examinations and grant certificates
and diplomas to such persons as satisfy the conditions prescribed by the
Company (but so that no such certificate or diploma shall convey any
statement expressing or implying that it is granted by or under the
authority of the Departments of Health, Education, or any Government
Department or Authority).
|
(5)
|
To
carry on the business of data management and processing operations whether
by automatic processing or otherwise and including but not limited to the
collection, processing, keeping, use and disclosure of information in
accordance with any applicable
laws.
|
(6)
|
To
carry on any other business except the issuing of policies of insurance
which may seem to the Company capable of being conveniently carried on in
connection with the above or calculated directly or indirectly to enhance
the value of or render profitable any of the Company's property or
rights.
|
(7)
|
As
an object of the Company and as a pursuit in itself or otherwise and
whether for the purpose of making a profit or avoiding a loss or for any
other purpose whatsoever (whether or not the Company derives any benefit
therefrom), to engage in currency exchange and interest rate transactions
and any other financial or other transactions of whatever nature,
including (without limiting the foregoing) any transaction for the
purposes of, or capable of being for the purposes of, avoiding, reducing,
minimising, hedging against or otherwise managing the risk of any loss,
cost, expense or liability existing, or which may arise, directly or
indirectly, from a change or changes in any interest rate or currency
exchange rate or in the price or value
of
|
(8)
|
To
invest any monies of the Company in such investments (including shares in
the Company) and in such manner as may from time to time be determined and
to hold, sell or deal with such investments and generally to purchase,
take on lease or in exchange or otherwise acquire any real and personal
property and rights or privileges.
|
(9)
|
To
acquire by purchase, exchange, lease, fee farm grant or otherwise either
for an estate in fee simple or for any lesser estate or other estate or
interest whether immediate or reversionary, and whether vested or
contingent, any lands, tenements or hereditaments of any tenure, whether
subject or not to any charges or incumbrances, and to hold, farm, work,
manage, sell, let, alienate, mortgage or charge any lands, tenements or
hereditaments, or any estates or interests therein, and any reversions,
interests, annuities, life policies, and any other property, real or
personal, movable or immovable either absolutely or conditionally and
either subject or not to any mortgage, charge, annuity, ground rent or
other rent or incumbrance and generally to purchase, take on, lease or in
exchange or otherwise acquire any real or personal property of any nature,
including choses in action and any rights or privileges of any
nature.
|
(10)
|
To
develop and turn to account any land acquired by the Company or in which
it is interested and in particular by laying out and preparing the same
for building purposes, constructing, altering, pulling down, decorating,
maintaining, fitting up and improving buildings and conveniences and by
planting, paving, draining, farming, cultivating, letting on building
lease or building agreement and by advancing money to and entering into
contracts and arrangements of all kinds with builders, tenants and
others.
|
(11)
|
To
establish and carry on and to promote the establishment and carrying on
upon any property in which the Company has any interest of any business
which may be conveniently carried on upon or in connection with such
property and the establishment of which may seem calculated to enhance the
value of the Company's interest in such property and to facilitate the
disposal thereof.
|
(12)
|
To
acquire and undertake the whole or any part of the undertaking, business,
property and liabilities of any person or company carrying on any business
which the Company is authorised to carry on or which is capable of being
conducted so as to benefit the Company directly or indirectly or which is
possessed of assets suitable for the purposes of the
Company.
|
(13)
|
To
lend money to such persons or companies either with or without security
and upon such terms as may seem expedient and to guarantee the terms and
provisions of any contracts or other obligations by any persons or
companies and generally to give guarantees and indemnities for the
obligations of any parties including the Company and whether or not the
Company shall receive any consideration or other benefit for the
same.
|
(14)
|
To
borrow or raise or secure the payment of money in such manner as the
Company shall think fit and in particular by the issue of
debentures or debenture stock, perpetual or otherwise or by mortgage
charge or lien charged upon all or any of the Company's property, both
present and future, including its uncalled capital, and to purchase,
redeem or pay off any such securities and by a similar mortgage charge or
lien to secure the obligations of the Company under any guarantee,
indemnity, counter indemnity, negotiable instrument or other security
instrument issued or given by the
Company.
|
(15)
|
To
adopt such means of making known the Company and its products and services
as may seem expedient.
|
(16)
|
To
sell, improve, manage, develop, exchange, lease, mortgage, enfranchise,
dispose of, turn to account or otherwise deal with all or any part of the
property, undertaking, rights or assets of the Company and for such
consideration as the Company might think fit. Generally to
purchase, take on, lease or in exchange or otherwise acquire any real and
personal property and rights or
privileges.
|
(17)
|
To
guarantee, support or secure, whether by personal covenant or by
mortgaging or charging all or any part of the undertaking, property and
assets (present and future) and uncalled capital of the Company, or by
both such methods, the performance of the obligations of and the repayment
or payment of the principal amounts of and premiums, interest and
dividends on any securities of any person, firm or company, including
(without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing) any company which
is for the time being the Company's holding company as defined by Section
155 of the Companies Act, 1963, or another subsidiary as defined by the
said Section of the Company's holding company or otherwise associated with
the Company in business and to grant indemnities of all kind whether with
or without any such security as above
mentioned.
|
(18)
|
To
amalgamate with, merge with or otherwise become part of or associated with
any other company or association in any manner permitted by
law.
|
(19)
|
To
enter into partnership or into any arrangement for sharing profits, union
of interest, co-operation, joint venture, reciprocal concession or
otherwise with any person or company or engage in any business or
transaction capable of being conducted so as directly or indirectly to
benefit the Company.
|
(20)
|
To
enter into any arrangement with any Government or authority supreme,
municipal, local or otherwise that may seem conducive to the Company's
objects or any of them and to obtain from any such government or
authority, any rights, privileges and concessions which the Company may
think it desirable to obtain, and to carry out exercise and comply with
any such arrangements, rights, privileges and
concessions.
|
(21)
|
To
establish and maintain or procure the establishment and maintenance of any
non-contributory or contributory pension or superannuation funds for the
benefit of, and to give or procure the giving of donations, gratuities,
pensions, allowances or emoluments to any persons who are or were at any
time in the employment or service of the Company or any company which is a
subsidiary of the Company or is allied to or associated with the Company
or with any such subsidiary of the Company or is allied to or associated
with the Company or with any such subsidiary, or who are or were at any
time Directors or Officers of the Company or of any such other company, as
aforesaid, or any person in whose welfare the Company or any such other
company as aforesaid is or has been at any time interested and the wives,
widows, families and dependants of any such persons, and also to establish
and subsidise or subscribe to any institutions, associations, clubs or
funds calculated to be for the benefit of or to advance the interest and
well being of the Company or of any other such company as aforesaid or of
any such persons as aforesaid and to make payments for or towards the
insurance of any such persons as aforesaid, and to subscribe or guarantee
money for charitable, benevolent or political objects including the
promotion of the arts and cultural artistic and literary matters generally
or for any exhibition or for any public, general or useful object, and to
do any of the matters aforesaid either alone or in conjunction with any
such other company or other person as
aforesaid.
|
(22)
|
To
establish and maintain a share option scheme or share option schemes as
the Company may from time to time determine for any persons who are in the
employment or service of the company or any subsidiary of the Company or
any company which is allied to or associated with the company or with any
such subsidiary or any person who are directors or officers of the Company
or of any such other company as aforesaid or any person acting as a
consultant to the Company or any subsidiary of the Company or such other
persons as the Company may from time to time
determine.
|
(23)
|
To
insure the life of any individual who may, in the opinion of the Company,
be of value to the Company, as having or holding for the Company interest,
goodwill, or influence or otherwise and to pay the premiums on such
insurance.
|
(24)
|
To
promote any company or companies for the purpose of acquiring all or any
of the property, assets and/or liabilities of the Company or for any other
purpose which may seem directly or indirectly calculated to benefit the
Company.
|
(25)
|
To
remunerate any person or company for services rendered or to be rendered
in placing or assisting to place or guaranteeing the placing of any of the
shares in the Company's capital or any debentures, debenture stock or
other securities of the Company, or in or about the formation or promotion
of the Company or the conduct of its
business.
|
(26)
|
To
draw, make, accept, endorse, discount, execute and issue promissory notes,
bills of exchange, bills of lading, warrants, debentures, letters of
credit and other negotiable or transferable
instruments.
|
(27)
|
To
undertake and execute any trusts the undertaking whereof may seem
desirable, whether gratuitously or
otherwise.
|
(28)
|
To
sell or dispose of the undertaking of the Company or any part thereof for
such consideration as the Company may think fit and in particular for
shares, debentures, or securities or any other company having objects in
whole or in part similar to those of this
Company.
|
(29)
|
To
adopt such means of making known the products and business of the Company
as may seem expedient and in particular by advertising in the press, by
circulars, by purchase and exhibition of works of art or interest, by
publication of books and periodicals, and by granting prizes, rewards,
donations and other forms of
sponsorship.
|
(30)
|
To
obtain any provisional Order or Act of the Oireachtas or any licence
certificate or other authority for enabling the Company to carry any of
its objects into effect or for effecting any modification of the Company's
constitution or for any other purpose which may seem expedient and to
oppose any proceedings applications or intended legislation or regulation
which may seem calculated directly or indirectly to prejudice the
Company's interests.
|
(31)
|
To
procure the Company to be registered or recognised in any country or
place.
|
(32)
|
To
promote freedom of contract and to resist, insure against, counteract and
discourage interference therewith, to join any lawful federation, union or
association, or do any other lawful act or thing with a view to preventing
or resisting directly or indirectly any interruption of, or interference
with the Company's or any other trade or business, or providing or
safe-guarding against the same, or resisting or opposing any strike
movement or organisation which may be thought detrimental to the interests
of the Company or its employees and to subscribe to any association or
fund for any such purposes.
|
(33)
|
To
do all or any of the above things in any part of the world and either as
principal, agent, contractor, trustee or otherwise, and either by or
through trustees, agents, sub-contractors or otherwise and either alone or
in partnership or in conjunction with any person or company and to
contract for the carrying on of any operation connected with the Company's
business by any person or company.
|
(34)
|
To
distribute any of the property of the Company in specie among the
members.
|
(35)
|
To
do all such other things as the Company may think incidental or conducive
to the attainment of the above objects or any of
them.
|
NOTE
A:
|
The
objects specified in each paragraph of this clause shall, except where
otherwise expressed in such paragraph, be in no way limited or restricted
by reference to, or interference from, the terms of any other
paragraph.
|
NOTE
B:
|
It
is hereby declared that the word "company" in this clause (except where it
refers to this Company) shall be deemed to include any partnership or
other body of persons, whether or not incorporated and whether formed in
Ireland or elsewhere.
|
Part
I - Preliminary
|
1.
|
Interpretation
|
Part
II - Share Capital and Rights
|
2.
|
Share
Capital
|
3.
|
Rights
of Shares on issue
|
|
4.
|
Redeemable
preference Shares
|
|
5.
|
Variation
of rights
|
|
6.
|
not
recognised
|
|
7.
|
Disclosure
of interests
|
|
8.
|
Allotment
of Shares
|
|
9.
|
Payment
of commission
|
|
10.
|
Payment
by installments
|
|
Part
III - Share Certificates
|
11.
|
Issue
of certificates
|
12.
|
Balance
and exchange certificates
|
|
13.
|
Replacement
of certificates
|
|
Part
IV - Lien on Shares
|
14.
|
Extent
of lien
|
15.
|
Power
of sale
|
|
16.
|
Power
to effect transfer
|
|
17.
|
Proceeds
of sale
|
|
Part
V - Calls on Shares and Forfeiture
|
18.
|
Making
of calls
|
19.
|
Time
of call
|
|
20.
|
Liability
of joint Holders
|
|
21.
|
Interest
on calls
|
|
22.
|
Amounts
treated as calls
|
|
23.
|
Power
to differentiate
|
|
24.
|
Interest
on moneys advanced
|
|
25.
|
Notice
requiring payment
|
|
26.
|
Power
of disposal
|
|
27.
|
Effect
of forfeiture
|
|
28.
|
Statutory
declaration
|
|
29.
|
Non-Payment
of sums due on Share issues
|
|
Part
VI - Conversion of Shares into Stock
|
30.
|
Conversion
of Shares into stock
|
31.
|
Transfer
of stock
|
|
32.
|
Rights
of stockholders
|
|
Part
VII - Transfer of Shares
|
33.
|
Form
of instrument of transfer
|
34.
|
Execution
of instrument of transfer
|
|
35.
|
Refusal
to register transfers
|
|
36.
|
Procedure
on refusal
|
|
37.
|
Closing
of transfer books
|
|
38.
|
Absence
of registration fees
|
|
39.
|
Retention
of transfer instruments
|
|
Part
VIII - Bearer Warrants
|
40.
41.
|
Renunciation
of allotment
Bearer
Warrants
|
Part
IX - Transmission of Shares
|
42.
|
Death
of member
|
43.
|
Transmission
on death or bankruptcy
|
|
44.
|
Rights
before registration
|
|
Part
X - Alteration of Share Capital
|
45.
|
Increase
of capital
|
46.
|
Consolidation,
sub-division and cancellation of capital
|
|
47.
|
Fractions
on consolidation
|
|
48.
|
Reduction
of capital
|
|
49.
|
Purchase
of own Shares
|
|
Part
XI - General Meetings
|
50.
|
Annual
general meetings
|
51.
|
Extraordinary
general meetings
|
|
52.
|
Convening
general meetings
|
|
53.
|
Notice
of general meetings
|
|
Part
XII - Proceedings at General Meetings
|
54.
|
Quorum
for general meetings
|
55.
|
Special
business
|
|
56.
|
Chairman
of general meetings
|
|
57.
|
Directors'
and Auditors' right to attend general meetings
|
|
58.
|
Adjournment
of general meetings
|
|
59.
|
Determination
of resolutions
|
|
60.
|
Amendments
to resolutions
|
|
61.
|
Entitlement
to demand poll
|
|
62.
|
Taking
of a poll
|
|
63.
|
Votes
of members
|
|
64.
|
Chairman's
casting vote
|
|
65.
|
Voting
by joint Holders
|
|
66.
|
Voting
by incapacitated Holders
|
|
67.
|
Default
in payment of calls
|
|
68.
|
Restriction
of voting and other rights
|
|
69.
|
Time
for objection to voting
|
|
70.
|
Appointment
of proxy
|
|
71.
|
Bodies
corporate acting by representatives at meetings
|
|
72.
|
Deposit
of proxy instruments
|
|
73.
|
Effect
of proxy instruments
|
|
74.
|
Effect
of revocation of proxy or of authorisation
|
|
Part
XIII - Directors
|
75.
|
Number
of Directors
|
76.
|
Share
qualification
|
|
77.
|
Ordinary
remuneration of Directors
|
|
78.
|
Special
remuneration of Directors
|
|
79.
80.
|
Expenses
of Directors
Alternate
Directors
|
|
Part
XIV - Powers of Directors
|
81.
|
Directors'
powers
|
82.
|
Power
to delegate
|
|
83.
|
Appointment
of attorneys
|
|
84.
|
Local
management
|
|
85.
|
Borrowing
powers
|
|
86.
|
Execution
of negotiable instruments
|
|
87.
|
Provision
for employees
|
|
Part
XV - Appointment and Retirement of Directors
|
88.
|
Retirement
by rotation
|
89.
|
Deemed
reappointment
|
|
90.
|
Eligibility
for appointment
|
|
91.
|
Appointment
of additional Directors
|
|
Part
XVI - Disqualification and Removal of Directors
|
92.
|
Disqualification
of Directors
|
93.
|
Removal
of Directors
|
|
Part
XVII - Directors' Offices and Interests
|
94.
|
Executive
offices
|
95.
|
Disclosure
of interests by Directors
|
|
96.
|
Directors'
interests
|
|
97.
|
Restriction
on Directors' voting
|
|
98.
|
Entitlement
to grant pensions
|
|
Part
XVIII - Proceedings of Directors
|
99.
|
Convening
and regulation of Directors' meetings
|
100.
|
Quorum
for Directors' meetings
|
|
101.
|
Voting
at Directors' meetings
|
|
102.
|
Telecommunication
meetings
|
|
103.
|
Chairman
of the board of Directors
|
|
104.
|
Validity
of acts of Directors
|
|
105.
|
Directors'
resolutions or other documents in writing
|
|
Part
XIX - The Secretary
|
106.
|
Appointment
of Secretary
|
Part
XX - The Seal
|
107.
|
Use
of Seal
|
108.
|
Seal
for use abroad
|
|
109.
|
Signature
of sealed instruments
|
|
Part
XXI - Dividends and Reserves
|
110.
|
Declaration
of dividends
|
111.
|
Scrip
dividends
|
|
112.
|
Interim
and fixed dividends
|
|
113.
|
Payment
of dividends
|
|
114.
|
Deductions
from dividends
|
|
115.
|
Dividends
in specie
|
|
116.
|
Payment
of dividends by post
|
|
117.
|
Dividends
not to bear interest
|
|
118.
|
Payment
to Holders on a particular date
|
|
119.
|
Unclaimed
dividends
|
|
120.
|
Reserves
|
|
Part
XXII - Accounts
|
121.
|
Accounts
|
Part
XXIII -
Capitalisation
of
Profits
or Reserves
|
122.
|
Capitalisation
of profits and reserves
|
123.
|
Capitalisation
and use of non-distributable profits and reserves
|
|
124.
|
Implementation
of capitalisation issues
|
|
Part
XXIV - Notices
|
125.
|
Notices
in writing
|
126.
|
Service
of notices
|
|
127.
|
Notices
to members
|
|
128.
|
Service
on joint Holders
|
|
129.
|
Service
on transfer or transmission of Shares
|
|
130.
|
Signature
to notices
|
|
131.
|
Deemed
receipt of notices
|
|
Part
XXV - Winding up
|
132.
|
Distribution
on winding up
|
133.
|
Distribution
in specie
|
|
Part
XXVI - Miscellaneous
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134.
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Minutes
of meetings
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135.
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Inspection
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136.
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Secrecy
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137.
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Destruction
of records
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138.
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Untraced
Shareholders
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139.
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Indemnity
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I.
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Interpretation
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A.
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The
regulations contained in Table A in the First Schedule to the Companies
Act, 1963 shall not apply to the
Company.
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B.
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In
these Articles the following expressions shall have the following
meanings:
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"the
Acts"
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the
Companies Acts, 1963 to 2001 and every statutory modification or
re-enactment thereof for the time being in effect;
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"the
1963 Act"
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the
Companies Act, 1963;
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"the
1983 Act"
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the
Companies (Amendment) Act, 1983;
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"the
1990 Act"
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the
Companies Act, 1990;
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"Address"
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includes
any number or address used for the purposes of communication by way of
electronic mail or other Electronic Communication;
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"Advanced
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Electronic
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Signature"
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has
the same meaning as under the Electronic Commerce Act, 2000 (as amended or
supplemented from time to time);
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"these
Articles"
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these
articles of association as from time to time and for the time being in
force;
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"Associated
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|
Company"
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any
company which for the time being is a subsidiary or a holding company of
the Company, is a subsidiary of a holding company of the Company or is a
company in which the Company or any of such companies as aforesaid shall
for the time being hold shares entitling the holder thereof to exercise at
least one-fifth of the votes at any general meeting of such company (not
being voting rights which arise only in specified
circumstances);
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"the
Auditors"
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the
auditors for the time being of the Company;
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"the
Board"
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the
board of Directors
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"Clear
Days"
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in
relation to the period of a notice, that period excluding the day when the
notice is given or deemed to be given and the day for which it is given or
on which it is to take effect or is deemed to take
effect;
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"the
Company"
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the
company whose name appears in the head of these
Articles;
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"the
Directors"
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the
directors for the time being of the Company;
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"Depository"
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a
custodian or other person approved by the Directors appointed under
contractual arrangements with the Company (or a nominee for such custodian
or other person) whereby such custodian or other person holds or is
interested in Shares and which issues Depositary Receipts representing
Depositary Shares evidencing interests in Deposited
Shares;
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"Depositary
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Receipts"
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receipts
or similar documents of title issued by or on behalf of a Depositary
representing Depositary Shares;
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"Depositary
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Shares"
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means
shares issued by a Depositary represented by Depositary Receipts and
evidencing interests in Deposited Shares;
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"Deposited
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Shares"
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means
the Shares held by a Depositary or in which such Depositary is interested
in its capacity as Depositary;
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"Electronic
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Communication"
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has
the same meaning as under the Electronic Commerce Act, 2000 (as amended or
supplemented from time to time);
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"Electronic
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Signature"
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has
the same meaning as under the Electronic Commerce Act, 2000 (as amended or
supplemented from time to time);
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"Euro"
or "~"
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shall
refer to the single currency of participating member states of the
European Union, the lawful currency of the State, and references to Irish
Pounds, £, or IR£ shall refer to the national currency unti (which is a
subdivision of the Euro) of the State, as defined on 31 December 1998,
being the day before the commencement of the third stage of Economic and
Monetary Union.
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"the
Group"
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the
Company and its subsidiaries from time to time and for the time
being;
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"the
Holder"
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in
relation to any Share, the Member whose name is entered in the Register as
the holder of the Share;
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"holding
company"
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in
relation to a company, a company of which such company is a
subsidiary;
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"Interest"
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means
any interest whatsoever in Shares (of any size) which would be taken into
account in deciding whether a notification to the Company would be
required under Chapter 2 of Part IV of the 1990 Act;
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"in
writing"
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written,
printed, photographed or lithographed or visibly expressed in all or any
of those or any other modes of representing or reproducing words provided
that it shall not include writing in electronic form except as provided in
these Articles and/or where it constitutes writing in electronic form sent
to either the Company or a member of the Company, the Company or member of
the Company has agreed to receipt in such
form;
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"The
Irish Stock
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Exchange"
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The
Irish Stock Exchange Limited or any successor thereto;
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"Member"
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a
member of the Company as defined in Section 31 of the 1963
Act;
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"Nasdaq"
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the
National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotation national
market system;
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"the
Office"
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the
registered office for the time being of the Company;
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"Ordinary
Shares"
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ordinary
shares of ~0.06 each in the capital of the Company;
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"the
Register"
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the
register of Members to be kept by the Company as required by the
Acts;
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"the
Seal"
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the
common seal of the Company or (where relevant) the official securities
seal kept by the Company pursuant to the Acts;
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"the
Secretary"
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any
person appointed to perform the duties of the Secretary of the
Company;
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"Shares"
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means
any Shares (whether issued or unissued) in the capital of the
Company
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"the
State"
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the
Republic of Ireland;
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"Stock
Exchange
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Nominee"
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the
meaning given to that expression by Section 1 of the Companies (Amendment)
Act, 1977;
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"The
Stock
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Exchanges"
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Nasdaq
and any other exchange on which Shares are listed from time to
time;
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"subsidiary"
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a
subsidiary within the meaning of Section 155 of the 1963
Act;
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"the
United
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Kingdom"
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the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland;
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"warrants
to
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subscribe"
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means
a warrant or certificate or similar document indicating the right of the
registered holder thereof (other than under a share option scheme for
employees) to subscribe for Shares in the
Company.
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C.
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Expressions
in these Articles referring to writing shall be construed, unless the
contrary intention appears, as including references to printing,
lithography, photography and any other modes of representing or
reproducing words in a visible form. Expressions in these Articles
referring to execution of any document shall include any mode of execution
whether under seal or under hand.
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D.
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Unless
specifically defined herein or the context otherwise requires, words or
expressions contained in these Articles shall bear the same meaning as in
the Acts but excluding any statutory modification thereof not in force
when these Articles become binding on the
Company.
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E.
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The
headings and captions included in these Articles are inserted for
convenience of reference only and shall not be considered a part of or
affect the construction or interpretation of these
Articles.
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F.
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References
in these Articles to any enactment or any section or provision thereof
shall mean such enactment, section or provision as the same may be amended
and may be from time to time and for the time being in
force.
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G.
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In
these Articles the masculine gender shall include the feminine and neuter,
and vice versa, and the singular number shall include the plural and vice
versa, and words importing persons shall include firms and
companies.
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H.
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References
in these Articles to pounds or pence or IR£ or IRp shall mean the
currency, for the time being, of the
State.
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I.
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References
in these Articles to dollars or cents or $ shall mean the currency for the
time being of the United States of
America.
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II.
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Share
Capital
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The
share capital of the Company is €6,000,000 divided into 100,000,000
Ordinary Shares of €0.06 each.
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III.
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Rights
of Shares on issue
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Without
prejudice to any special rights previously conferred on the Holders of any
existing Shares or class of Shares and subject to the provisions of the
Acts, any Share may be issued with such rights or restrictions as the
Company may by ordinary resolution
determine.
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IV.
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Redeemable
Shares
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Subject
to the provisions of the Acts, any Shares may be issued on the terms that
they are, or at the option of the Company are, liable to be redeemed on
such terms and in such manner as the Company may by special resolution
determine.
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V.
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Variation
of rights
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A.
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Whenever
the share capital is divided into different classes of shares, the rights
attached to any class may be varied or abrogated with the consent in
writing of the Holders of three-fourths in nominal amount of the issued
Shares of that class or with the sanction of a special resolution passed
at a separate general meeting of the Holders of the Shares of the class
(but not otherwise), and may be so varied or abrogated either whilst the
Company is a going concern or during or in contemplation of a
winding-up. The quorum at any such separate general meeting,
other than an adjourned meeting, shall be two persons holding or
representing by proxy at least one-third in nominal amount of the issued
Shares of the class in question and the quorum at an adjourned meeting
shall be one person holding Shares of the class in question or his
proxy.
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B.
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The
rights conferred upon the Holders of the Shares of any class issued with
preferred or other rights shall not, unless otherwise expressly provided
by these Articles or the terms of the issue of the Shares of that class,
be deemed to be varied by the creation or issue of further Shares ranking
pari passu therewith or subordinate
thereto.
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VI.
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Trusts
not recognised
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Except
as required by law, no person shall be recognised by the Company as
holding any Share upon any trust, and the Company shall not be bound by or
be compelled in anyway to recognise (even when having notice thereof) any
equitable, contingent, future or partial interest in any Share or any
interest in any fractional part of a Share or (except only as by these
Articles or by law otherwise provided) any other rights in respect of any
Share except an absolute right to the entirety thereof in the
Holder.
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VII.
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Disclosure
of Interests
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A.
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For
the purposes of this Article 7:-
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"Deemed Voting Concert Party
Interest" means an agreement or arrangement between two or more
persons with respect to, or to the exercise of, voting rights attaching to
Shares and which is likely to result in those rights being exercised so as
to influence or to control the policy of the Company or the management of
its affairs which the Directors have deemed to be a Deemed Voting Concert
Party Interest for the purposes of this Article 7 and, where the Directors
so resolve, each of the persons who is party to such agreement or
arrangement shall be deemed (for the purposes of this Article 7) to be
interested in all the Shares to which the voting rights in question are
attached and, in this definition, references to an arrangement include
references to an understanding or mutual expectation, whether formal or
informal and whether or not legally
binding.
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"Disclosure Notice"
means a notice served pursuant to Article 7(b)
below;
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"Interest" means an
interest (of any size) in the Relevant Share Capital which would be taken
into account in deciding whether a notification to the Company would be
required under Chapter 2 of Part IV of the 1990 Act but shall for all
purposes include (the "Included Interests")
(i) rights to subscribe for or convert into, or entitlements to
acquire rights to subscribe for or convert into, shares which would on
issue or conversion (as the case may be) be comprised in the Relevant
Share Capital; (ii) the interests referred to in Section 78(l)(a), (c) and
(g) of the 1990 Act except those of a bare or custodian trustee and of a
simple trustee and (iii) any Deemed Voting Concert Party Interest; and
"interested"
shall be construed
accordingly;
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"Relevant Share
Capital" means the relevant share capital of the Company (as that
expression is defined in Section 67(2) of the 1990
Act);
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"Share" means any share
comprised in Relevant Share
Capital.
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B.
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The
Directors may by notice in writing require any Member, or other person
appearing to be interested or to have been interested in Shares, to
disclose to the Company in writing such information as the Directors shall
require relating to the ownership of or any Interest in Shares as lies
within the knowledge of such Member or other person (supported if the
Directors so require by a statutory declaration and/or by independent
evidence) including (without prejudice to the generality of the
foregoing):-
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1.
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any
information which the Company is entitled to seek pursuant to Section 81
of the 1990 Act.
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C.
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Where
the Member on which a Disclosure Notice is served is a Depositary acting
in its capacity as such, the obligations of the Depositary as a Member
pursuant to this Article shall be limited to disclosing to the Company in
accordance with this Article such information relating to the ownership of
or Interests in the Shares in question as has been recorded by it pursuant
to the terms entered into between the Depositary and the Company provided
that nothing in this Article shall in any other way restrict the powers of
the Directors under this Article.
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D.
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The
Directors may give any number of Disclosure Notices pursuant to Article
7(b) above to the same Member or other person in respect of the same
Shares.
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E.
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The
Directors may serve notice pursuant to the terms of this Article
irrespective of whether or not the person on whom it shall be served may
be dead, bankrupt, insolvent or otherwise incapacitated and no such
incapacity or any unavailability of information or inconvenience or
hardship in obtaining the same shall be a satisfactory reason for failure
to comply with any such notice, provided that if the Directors in their
absolute discretion think fit, they may waive compliance in whole or in
part with any notice given under this Article in respect of a Share in any
case of bona fide unavailability of information or genuine hardship or
where they otherwise think fit but no such waiver shall prejudice or
affect in any way any non-compliance not so waived whether by the person
concerned or any other person appearing to the Directors to be interested
in the Shares or by any person to whom a notice may be given at any
time.
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F.
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The
provisions of Articles 125 to 131 inclusive shall apply to the service of
notices required by this Article to be
served.
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G.
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Any
resolution or determination of, or decision or exercise of any discretion
or power by the Directors under or pursuant to the provisions of this
Article shall be final and conclusive and things done by or on behalf of,
or on the authority of, the Directors pursuant to the foregoing provisions
of this Article shall be conclusive and binding on all persons concerned
and shall not be open to challenge, whether as to validity or otherwise on
any ground whatsoever. The Directors shall not be required to
give any reasons for any decision, determination or declaration taken or
made in accordance with this
Article.
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H.
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The
provisions of this Article are in addition to, and do not limit, any other
right or power of the Company or the Directors, including any right vested
in the Company or the Directors by the
Acts.
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VIII.
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Allotment
of Shares
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A.
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The
unissued Shares shall be at the disposal of the Directors and (subject to
the provisions of these Articles and the Acts) they may allot, grant
options over, deal with or otherwise dispose (with or without conferring a
right of renunciation) of them on such terms and conditions and at such
times as they may consider to be in the best interests of the Company and
the Members but so that no Share shall be issued at a discount and so
that, unless otherwise permitted under the Acts, where Shares are to be
allotted and issued, the amount payable on application on each Share shall
not be less than one-quarter of the nominal amount of the Share and the
whole of any premium payable
thereon.
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B.
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Without
prejudice to the generality of the powers conferred on the Directors by
the other provisions of this Article, the Directors may grant from time to
time options to subscribe for unallotted Shares in the capital of the
Company to persons in the service or employment of or Directors of the
Company or any subsidiary of the Company on such terms and subject to such
conditions as may be approved from time to time by the Directors or any
committee thereof appointed by the Directors for the purpose of such
approval.
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C.
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The
Company may issue warrants to subscribe (by whatever name they are called)
to any person to whom the Company has granted the right to subscribe for
Shares in the Company (other than under a share option scheme for
employees) certifying the right of the registered holder thereof to
subscribe for Shares in the Company upon such terms and conditions as
those upon which the right may have been
granted.
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IX.
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Payment
of commission
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The
Company may exercise the powers of paying commissions conferred or
permitted by the Acts. Subject to the provisions of the Acts,
any such commission may be satisfied by the payment of cash or by the
allotment of fully or partly paid Shares or partly in one way and partly
in the other. On any issue of Shares the Company may also pay
such brokerage as may be lawful.
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X.
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Payment
by instalments
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If
by the conditions of allotment of any Share the whole or part of the
amount or issue price thereof shall be payable by instalments, every such
installment when due shall be paid to the Company by the person who for
the time being shall be the Holder of the
Share.
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XI.
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Issue
of certificates
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Every
Member (except a Stock Exchange Nominee in respect of whom the Company is
not by law required to complete and have ready for delivery a certificate)
shall be entitled without payment to receive within two months after
allotment or lodgement of a transfer to him of the Shares in respect of
which he is so registered (or within such other period as the conditions
of issue shall provide) one certificate for all the Shares of each class
held by him or several certificates each for one or more of his Shares
upon payment for every certificate after the first of such reasonable out
of pocket expenses as the Directors may determine provided that the
Company shall not be bound to issue more than one certificate for Shares
held jointly by several persons and delivery of a certificate to one joint
Holder shall be a sufficient delivery to all of them. The
Company shall not be bound to register more than four persons as joint
Holders of any Share (except in the case of executors or trustees of a
deceased Member). Every certificate shall be sealed with the
Seal and shall specify the number, class and distinguishing number (if
any) of the Shares to which it relates and the amount or respective
amounts paid up thereon.
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XII.
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Balance
and exchange certificates
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A.
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Where
some only of the Shares comprised in a share certificate are transferred
the old certificate shall be cancelled and the new certificate for the
balance of such Shares shall be issued in lieu without
charge.
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B.
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Any
two or more certificates representing Shares of any one class held by any
Member at his request may be cancelled and a single new certificate for
such Shares issued in lieu, without charge unless the Directors otherwise
determine. If any Member shall surrender for cancellation a
share certificate representing shares held by him and request the Company
to issue in lieu two or more Share certificates representing such Shares
in such proportions as he may specify, the Directors may comply, if they
think fit, with such request, subject to the payment by him of such charge
as may be determined by the
Directors.
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XIII.
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Replacement
of certificates
|
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If
a share certificate is defaced, worn out, lost, stolen or destroyed, it
may be replaced on such terms (if any) as to evidence and indemnity and
payment of any exceptional expenses incurred by the Company as the
Directors may determine but otherwise free of charge, and (in the case of
defacement or wearing out) on delivery up of the old
certificate.
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XIV.
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Extent
of lien
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The
Company shall have a first and paramount lien on every Share (not being a
fully paid Share) for all moneys (whether presently payable or not)
payable at a fixed time or called in respect of that Share. The
Directors, at any time, may declare any Share to be wholly or in part
exempt from the provisions of this Article. The Company's lien
on a Share shall extend to all moneys payable in respect of
it.
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XV.
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Power
of sale
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|
The
Company may sell in such manner as the Directors determine any Share on
which the Company has a lien if a sum in respect of which the lien exists
is presently payable and is not paid within fourteen Clear Days after
notice demanding payment, and stating that if the notice is not complied
with the Shares may be sold, has been given to the Holder of the Share or
to the person entitled to it by reason of the death or bankruptcy of the
Holder.
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XVI.
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Power
to effect transfer
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|
To
give effect to a sale the Directors may take such steps as the Directors
consider are necessary or desirable in order to effect such sale and, for
this purpose, may authorise some person to execute an instrument of
transfer of the Shares sold to, or in accordance with the directions of,
the purchaser. The transferee shall be entered in the Register
as the Holder of the Shares comprised in any such transfer and he shall
not be bound to see to the application of the purchase moneys nor shall
his title to the Shares be affected by any irregularity in or invalidity
of the proceedings in reference to the sale, and after the name of the
transferee has been entered in the Register, the remedy of any person
aggrieved by the sale shall be in damages only and against the Company
exclusively.
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XVII.
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Proceeds
of sale
|
|
The
net proceeds of the sale, after payment of the costs relating thereto,
shall be applied in payment of so much of the sum for which the lien
exists as is presently payable and any residue (upon surrender to the
Company for cancellation of the certificate for the Shares sold or an
indemnity in a form which is satisfactory to the Directors and subject to
a like lien for any moneys not presently payable as existed upon the
Shares before the sale) shall be paid to the person entitled to the Shares
at the date of the sale.
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XVIII.
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Making
of calls
|
|
Subject
to the terms of allotment, the Directors may make calls upon the Members
in respect of any moneys unpaid on their Shares and each Member (subject
to receiving at least fourteen Clear Days' notice specifying when and
where payment is to be made) shall pay to the Company as required by the
notice the amount called on his Shares. A call may be required
to be paid by instalments. A call may be revoked before receipt
by the Company of a sum due thereunder, in whole or in part, and payment
of a call may be postponed in whole or in part. A person upon
whom a call is made shall remain liable for such call notwithstanding the
subsequent transfer of the Shares in respect of which the call was
made.
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XIX.
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Time
of call
|
|
A
call shall be deemed to have been made at the time when the resolution of
the Directors authorising the call was
passed.
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XX.
|
Liability
of joint Holders
|
|
The
joint Holders of a Share shall be jointly and severally liable to pay all
calls in respect thereof.
|
XXI.
|
Interest
on calls
|
|
If
a call remains unpaid after it has become due and payable the person from
whom it is due and payable shall pay interest on the amount unpaid from
the day it became due until it is paid at the rate fixed by the terms of
allotment of the Share or in the notice of the call but the Directors may
waive payment of the interest wholly or in
part.
|
XXII.
|
Amounts
treated as calls
|
|
An
amount payable in respect of a Share on allotment or at any fixed date,
whether in respect of nominal value or by way of premium, shall be deemed
to be a call and if it is not paid the provisions of these Articles shall
apply as if that amount had become due and payable by virtue of a call
duly made and notified.
|
XXIII.
|
Power
to differentiate
|
|
Subject
to the terms of allotment, the Directors may make arrangements on the
issue of Shares for different terms to apply as between the Holders in
relation to the amounts and times of payment of calls on their
Shares.
|
XXIV.
|
Interest
on moneys advanced
|
|
The
Directors, if they think fit, may receive from any Member willing to
advance same all or any part of the moneys uncalled and unpaid upon any
Shares held by him, and upon all or any of the moneys so advanced may pay
(until the same would, but for such advance, become payable) interest at
such rate, not exceeding (unless the Company in general meeting otherwise
directs) 15 per cent. per annum, as may be agreed upon between the
Directors and the Member paying such sum in
advance.
|
XXV.
|
Notice
requiring payment
|
A.
|
If
a Member fails to pay any call or installment of a call on the day
appointed for payment thereof, the Directors, at any time thereafter
during such times as any part of the call or installment remains unpaid,
may serve a notice on him requiring payment of so much of the call or
installment as is unpaid together with any interest which may have
accrued.
|
B.
|
The
notice shall name a further day (not earlier than the expiration of
fourteen Clear Days from the date of service of the notice) on or before
which the payment required by the notice is to be made, and shall state
that in the event of non-payment at or before the time appointed the
Shares in respect of which the call was made will be liable to be
forfeited.
|
C.
|
If
the requirements of any such notice as aforesaid are not complied with
then, at any time thereafter before the payment required by the notice has
been made, any Shares in respect of which the notice has been given may be
forfeited by a resolution of the Directors to that effect. The
forfeiture shall include all dividends or other moneys payable in respect
of the forfeited Shares and not paid before forfeiture. The
Directors may accept a surrender of any Share liable to be forfeited
hereunder.
|
D.
|
On
the trial or hearing of any action for the recovery of any money due for
any call it shall be sufficient to prove that the name of the Member sued
is entered in the Register as the Holder, or one of the Holders, of the
Shares in respect of which such debt accrued, that the resolution making
the call is duly recorded in the minute book and that notice of such call
was duly given to the Member sued, in accordance with these Articles, and
it shall not be necessary to prove the appointment of the Directors who
made such call nor any other matters whatsoever, but the proof of the
matters aforesaid shall be conclusive evidence of the
debt.
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XXVI.
|
Power
of disposal
|
|
A
forfeited Share may be sold or otherwise disposed of on such terms and in
such manner as the Directors think fit and at any time before a sale or
disposal the forfeiture may be cancelled on such terms as the Directors
think fit. Where for the purposes of its disposal such a Share
is to be transferred to any person, the Directors may take such steps as
the Directors consider are necessary or desirable in order to effect such
sale and, for this purpose, may authorise some person to execute an
instrument of transfer of the Share to that person. The Company
may receive the consideration, if any, given for the Share on any sale or
disposal thereof and may execute a transfer of the Share in favour of the
person to whom the Share is sold or disposed of and thereupon he shall be
registered as the Holder of the Share and shall not be bound to see to the
application of the purchase moneys, nor shall his title to the Share be
affected by any irregularity or invalidity in the proceedings in reference
to the forfeiture, sale or disposal of the Share and after the name of the
transferee has been entered in the Register the remedy of any person
aggrieved by the sale shall be in damages only and against the Company
exclusively.
|
XXVII.
|
Effect
of forfeiture
|
|
A
person whose Shares have been forfeited shall cease to be a Member in
respect of the forfeited Shares, but nevertheless shall remain liable to
pay to the Company all moneys which, at the date of forfeiture, were
payable by him to the Company in respect of the Shares, but his liability
shall cease if and when the Company shall have received payment in full of
all such moneys in respect of the
Shares.
|
XXVIII.
|
Statutory
declaration
|
|
A
statutory declaration that the declarant is a Director or the Secretary of
the Company, and that a Share in the Company has been duly forfeited on
the date stated in the declaration, shall be conclusive evidence of the
facts therein stated as against all persons claiming to be entitled to the
Share.
|
XXIX.
|
Non-payment
of sums due on Share issues
|
|
The
provisions of these Articles as to forfeiture shall apply in the case of
non-payment of any sum which, by the terms of issue of a Share, becomes
payable at a fixed time, whether on account of the nominal value of the
Share or by way of premium, as if the same had been payable by virtue of a
call duly made and notified.
|
XXX.
|
Conversion
of Shares into stock
|
|
The
Company by ordinary resolution may convert any paid up Shares into stock
and reconvert any stock into paid up Shares of any
denomination.
|
XXXI.
|
Transfer
of stock
|
|
The
holders of stock may transfer the same or any part thereof, in the same
manner, and subject to the same regulations, as and subject to which the
Shares from which the stock arose might have been transferred before
conversion, or as near thereto as circumstances admit; and the Directors
may fix from time to time the minimum amount of stock transferable but so
that such minimum shall not exceed the nominal amount of each Share from
which the stock arose.
|
XXXII.
|
Rights
of stockholders
|
A.
|
The
holders of stock shall have, according to the amount of stock held by
them, the same rights, privileges and advantages in relation to dividends,
voting at meetings of the Company and other matters as if they held the
Shares from which the stock arose, but no such right, privilege or
advantage (except participation in the dividends and profits of the
Company and in the assets on winding up) shall be conferred by an amount
of stock which, if existing in Shares, would not have conferred that
right, privilege or advantage.
|
B.
|
Such
of these Articles as are applicable to paid up Shares shall apply to
stock, and the words "Share" and "Shareholder" therein shall include
"stock" and "stockholder".
|
XXXIII.
|
Form
of instrument of transfer
|
|
Subject
to such of the restrictions of these Articles and to such of the
conditions of issue or transfer as may be applicable, the Shares of any
Member may be transferred by instrument in writing (including writing in
electronic form) in any usual or common form or any other form which the
Directors may approve.
|
XXXIV.
|
Execution
of instrument of transfer
|
|
The
instrument of transfer of any Share shall be executed by or on behalf of
the transferor and, in cases where the Share is not fully paid, by or on
behalf of the transferee. The transferor shall be deemed to
remain the Holder of the Share until the name of the transferee is entered
in the Register in respect
thereof.
|
XXXV.
|
Refusal
to register transfers
|
A.
|
The
Directors in their absolute discretion and without assigning any reason
therefor may decline to register any transfer of a Share which is not
fully paid save and however, that in the case of such a Share which is
admitted to listing on any of The Stock Exchanges such restriction shall
not operate so as to prevent dealings in such a Share of the Company from
taking place on an open and proper
basis.
|
B.
|
The
Directors shall not register any person as a Holder of any Share in the
Company (other than an allottee under an issue of Shares by way of
capitalisation of profits or reserves made pursuant to these Articles or a
Stock Exchange Nominee or a Depositary) unless such person has furnished
to the Directors a declaration (in such form as the Directors may from
time to time prescribe) signed by him or on his behalf (or, in the case of
a corporation, sealed by the corporation or signed on its behalf by an
attorney or duly authorised officer of the corporation), together with
such evidence as the Directors may require of the authority of any
signatory on behalf of such person, stating (i) the name and nationality
of any person who has an Interest in any such Share and (if such
declaration or the Directors so require) the nature and extent of the
Interest of each such person or (ii) such other information as the
Directors may from time to time determine. The Directors shall
in any case where they may consider it appropriate require such person to
provide such evidence or give such information as to the matters referred
to in the declaration as they think fit. The Directors shall
decline to register any person as a Holder of a Share if such further
evidence or information is not provided or given. The Directors
shall, so long as they act reasonably and in good faith, be under no
liability to the Company or to any other person if they register any
person as the Holder of a Share on the basis of a declaration or other
evidence or information provided pursuant to this Article 35 which
declaration, evidence or information appears on its face to be
correct.
|
C.
|
The
Directors may decline to recognise any instrument of transfer
unless:-
|
1.
|
the
instrument of transfer is accompanied by the certificate of the Shares to
which it relates and such other evidence as the Directors may reasonably
require to show the right of the transferor to make the transfer (save
where the transferor is a Stock Exchange
Nominee);
|
2.
|
the
instrument of transfer is in respect of one class of Share
only;
|
3.
|
the
instrument of transfer is in favour of not more than four transferees;
and
|
4.
|
it
is lodged at the Office or at such other place as the Directors may
appoint.
|
XXXVI.
|
Procedure
on refusal
|
|
If
the Directors refuse to register a transfer then, within two months after
the date on which the transfer was lodged with the Company, they shall
send to the transferee notice of the
refusal.
|
XXXVII.
|
Closing
of transfer books
|
|
The
registration of transfers of Shares either generally or in respect of any
class of Shares may be suspended at such times and for such periods (not
exceeding thirty days in each year) as the Directors may
determine.
|
XXXVIII.
|
Absence
of registration fees
|
|
No
fee shall be charged for the registration of any instrument of transfer or
other document or instructions relating to or
affecting the title to any Share.
|
XXXIX.
|
Retention
of transfer instruments
|
|
The
Company shall be entitled to retain any instrument of transfer which is
registered, but any instrument of transfer which the Directors refuse to
register shall be returned to the person lodging it when notice of the
refusal is given.
|
XL.
|
Renunciation
of allotment
|
|
Nothing
in these Articles shall preclude the Directors from recognising a
renunciation of the allotment of any Shares by the allottee in favour of
some other person.
|
XLI.
|
Power
to Issue Share Warrants to Bearer
|
|
(A)
|
Subject
to the provisions of the 1963 Act the Directors may with respect to paid
up Ordinary Shares issue under the seal of the Company Share Warrants to
bearer stating that the bearer is entitled to the Shares therein specified
(a "Warrantholder") and may provide, by coupons or otherwise, for the
payment of future dividends or any other rights arising in the Shares
included in such Warrant. All Shares while represented by
Warrants shall be transferable by delivery of the Warrants relating
thereto.
|
|
(B)
|
The
Directors may determine, and from time to time vary, the conditions upon
which Share Warrants may be issued and in particular upon which a new
Share Warrant or coupon will be issued in place of one worn out, defaced
or destroyed provided that no new Share Warrant shall be issued unless the
Directors are satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that the original Warrant
has been destroyed.
|
|
(C)
|
Subject
to the provisions of the Acts, the bearer of a Share Warrant shall be
deemed to be a Member of the Company to the full extent and shall be
subject to the conditions relevant thereto for the time being
enforced.
|
XLII.
|
Death
of Member
|
|
If
a Member dies the survivor or survivors where he was a joint Holder, and
his personal representatives where he was a sole Holder or the only
survivor of joint Holders, shall be the only persons recognised by the
Company as having any title to his interest in the Shares; but nothing
herein contained shall release the estate of a deceased Member from any
liability in respect of any Share which had been jointly held by
him.
|
XLIII.
|
Transmission
on death or bankruptcy
|
|
A
person becoming entitled to a Share in consequence of the death or
bankruptcy of a Member may elect, upon such evidence being produced as the
Directors may properly require, either to become the Holder of the Share
or to have some person nominated by him registered as the
transferee. If he elects to become the Holder he shall give
notice to the Company to that effect. If he elects to have
another person registered he shall execute an instrument of transfer of
the Share to that person. All of the provisions of these
Articles relating to the transfer of Shares shall apply to the notice or
instrument of transfer as if it were an instrument of transfer executed by
the Member and the death or bankruptcy of the Member had not
occurred.
|
XLIV.
|
Rights
before registration
|
|
A
person becoming entitled to a Share by reason of the death or bankruptcy
of a Member (upon supplying to the Company such evidence as the Directors
may reasonably require to show his title to the Share) shall
(notwithstanding that he is not entered on the Register as the holder of
the Share) have the rights to which he would be entitled if he were the
Holder of the Share, except that, before being registered as the Holder of
the Share, he shall not be entitled in respect of it to attend or vote at
any meeting of the Company or at any separate meeting of the Holders of
any class of Shares in the Company, so, however, that the Directors, at
any time, may give notice requiring any such person to elect either to be
registered himself or to transfer the Share and, if the notice is not
complied with within ninety days, the Directors thereupon may withhold
payment of all dividends, bonuses or other moneys payable in respect of
the Share until the requirements of the notice have been complied
with.
|
XLV.
|
Increase
of capital
|
A.
|
The
Company from time to time by ordinary resolution may increase the share
capital by such sum, to be divided into Shares of such amount, as the
resolution shall prescribe.
|
B.
|
Subject
to the provisions of the Acts, the new Shares shall be issued to such
persons, upon such terms and conditions and with such rights and
privileges annexed thereto as the general meeting resolving upon the
creation thereof shall direct and, if no direction be given, as the
Directors shall determine and in particular such Shares may be issued with
a preferential or qualified right to dividends and in the distribution of
the assets of the Company and with a special, or without any, right of
voting.
|
C.
|
Except
so far as otherwise provided by the conditions of issue or by these
Articles, any capital raised by the creation of new Shares shall be
considered part of the pre-existing ordinary capital and shall be subject
to the provisions herein contained with reference to calls and
instalments, transfer and transmission, forfeiture, lien and
otherwise.
|
XLVI.
|
Consolidation,
sub-division and cancellation of
capital
|
|
The
Company, by ordinary resolution,
may:-
|
A.
|
consolidate
and divide all or any of its share capital into Shares of larger
amount;
|
B.
|
subject
to the provisions of the Acts, subdivide its Shares, or any of them, into
Shares of smaller amount, so however that in the sub-division the
proportion between the amount paid and the amount, if any, unpaid on each
reduced Share shall be the same as it
was
|
C.
|
cancel
any Shares which, at the date of the passing of the resolution, have not
been taken or agreed to be taken by any person and reduce the amount of
its authorised share capital by the amount of the Shares so
cancelled.
|
XLVII.
|
Fractions
on consolidation
|
|
Subject
to the provisions of these Articles, whenever as a result of a
consolidation of Shares any Members would become entitled to fractions of
a Share, the Directors may sell, on behalf of those Members, the Shares
representing the fraction for the best price reasonably obtainable to any
person and distribute the proceeds of sale in due proportion among those
Members, and the Directors may take such steps as the Directors consider
are necessary or desirable in order to effect such sale and, for this
purpose, may authorise any person to execute an instrument of transfer of
the Shares to, or in accordance with the directions of, the
purchaser. The transferee shall not be bound to see to the
application of the purchase money nor shall his title to the Shares be
affected by any irregularity in or invalidity of the proceedings in
reference to the sale.
|
XLVIII.
|
Reduction
of capital
|
|
The
Company, by special resolution, may reduce its share capital, any capital
redemption reserve fund or any share premium account in any manner and
with, and subject to, any incident authorised, and consent required, by
law.
|
XLIX.
|
Purchase
of own Shares
|
|
Subject
to the provisions of the Acts and to any rights conferred on the Holders
of any class of Shares, the Company may purchase all or any of its Shares
of any class (including any redeemable Shares). Every contract
for the purchase of, or under which the Company may become entitled or
obliged to purchase, Shares in the Company shall be authorised by a
special resolution of the Company. Neither the Company nor the
Directors shall be required to select the Shares to be purchased rateably
or in any particular manner as between the Holders of Shares of the same
class or as between them and the Holders of Shares of any other class or
in accordance with the rights as to dividends or capital conferred by any
class of Shares. Subject as aforesaid, the Company may cancel
any Shares so purchased or may hold them as treasury Shares and issue any
such treasury Shares as Shares of any class or classes or cancel
them. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in
these Articles, the rights attached to any class of Shares shall be deemed
not to be varied by anything done by the Company pursuant to this
Article.
|
L.
|
Annual
general meetings
|
|
The
Company shall hold in each year a general meeting as its annual general
meeting in addition to any other meeting in that year and shall specify
the meeting as such in the notices calling it. Not more than
fifteen months shall elapse between the date of one annual general meeting
and that of the next.
|
LI.
|
Extraordinary
general meetings
|
|
All
general meetings other than annual general meetings shall be called
extraordinary general meetings.
|
LII.
|
Convening
general meetings
|
|
The
Directors may convene general meetings. Extraordinary general
meetings may also be convened by the Directors on such requisition, or in
the event of default by the Directors may be convened by such
requisitionists and in such manner, as may be provided by the
Acts. If at any time there are not within the State sufficient
Directors capable of acting to form a quorum, any Director or any two
Members of the Company may convene an extraordinary general meeting in the
same manner as nearly as possible as that in which general meetings may be
convened by the Directors.
|
LIII.
|
Notice
of general meetings
|
A.
|
Subject
to the provisions of the Acts allowing a general meeting to be called by
shorter notice, an annual general meeting and an extraordinary general
meeting called for the passing of a special resolution shall be called by
at least twenty-one Clear Days' notice and all other extraordinary general
meetings shall be called by at least fourteen Clear Days'
notice.
|
B.
|
Any
notice convening a general meeting shall specify the time and place of the
meeting and, in the case of special business, the general nature of that
business and, in reasonable prominence, that a Member entitled to attend
and vote is entitled to appoint a proxy to attend, speak and vote in his
place and that a proxy need not be a Member of the Company. It
shall also give particulars of any Directors who are to retire by rotation
or otherwise at the meeting and of any persons who are recommended by the
Directors for appointment or re- appointment as Directors at the meeting,
or in respect of whom notice has been duly given to the Company of the
intention to propose them for appointment or re-appointment as Directors
at the meeting. Subject to any restrictions imposed on any
Shares, the notice shall be given to all the Members and to the Directors
and the Auditors.
|
C.
|
The
accidental omission to give notice of a meeting to, or the non-receipt of
notice of a meeting by, any person entitled to receive notice shall not
invalidate the proceedings at the
meeting.
|
D.
|
Where,
by any provision contained in the Acts, extended notice is required of a
resolution, the resolution shall not be effective (except where the
Directors of the Company have resolved to submit it) unless notice of the
intention to move it has been given to the Company not less than such
number of days as the Acts permit before the meeting at which it is moved,
and the Company shall give to the Members notice of any such resolution as
required by and in accordance with the provisions of the
Acts.
|
E.
|
The
Directors may, for the purpose of controlling the level of attendance at
any place specified for the holding of a general meeting, from time to
time make such arrangements whether involving the issue of tickets (on a
basis intended to afford to all Members otherwise entitled to attend such
meeting an equal opportunity of being admitted to the meeting) or the
imposition of some random means of selection or otherwise as they shall in
their absolute discretion consider to be appropriate, and may from time to
time vary any such arrangements or make new arrangements in place therefor
and the entitlement of any Member or proxy to attend a general meeting at
such place shall be subject to any such arrangements as may be for the
time being in force and by the notice of meeting stated to apply to that
meeting. In the case of any general meeting to which such
arrangements apply the Directors shall, and in the case of any other
general meeting the Directors may, when specifying the place of the
general meeting, direct that the meeting shall be held at a place
specified in the notice at which the chairman of the meeting shall preside
("the Principal Place") and make arrangements for simultaneous attendance
and participation at other places by members otherwise entitled to attend
the general meeting but excluded therefrom under the provisions of this
Article or who wish to attend at any of such other places provided that
persons attending at the Principal Place and at any of suchother
places shall be able to see and hear and be seen and heard by persons
attending at the Principal Place and at such other places. Such
arrangements for simultaneous attendance may include arrangements for
controlling the level of attendance in any manner aforesaid at such other
places provided that they shall operate so that any such excluded members
as aforesaid are able to attend at one of such other
places. For the purposes of all other provisions of these
Articles any such meeting shall be treated as being held and taking place
at the Principal Place.
|
LIV.
|
Quorum
for general meetings
|
A.
|
No
business other than the appointment of a chairman shall be transacted at
any general meeting unless a quorum of Members is present at the time when
the meeting proceeds to business. Except as provided in relation to an
adjourned meeting, three Members, present in person or by proxy, entitled
to vote upon the business to be transacted, shall be a
quorum.
|
B.
|
If
such a quorum is not present within half an hour from the time appointed
for the meeting, or if during a meeting a quorum ceases to be present, the
meeting shall stand adjourned to the same day in the next week at the same
time and place, or to such time and place as the Directors may
determine. If at the adjourned meeting such a quorum is not
present within half an hour from the time appointed for the meeting, the
meeting, if convened otherwise than by resolution of the Directors, shall
be dissolved, but if the meeting shall have been convened by resolution of
the Directors, two persons entitled to be counted in a quorum present at
the meeting shall be a quorum.
|
LV.
|
Special
business
|
|
All
business shall be deemed special that is transacted at an extraordinary
general meeting. All business that is transacted at an annual
general meeting shall also be deemed special with the exception of
declaring a dividend, the consideration of the accounts, balance sheets
and reports of the Directors and Auditors, the election of Directors in
the place of those retiring (whether by rotation or otherwise), the fixing
of the remuneration of the Directors, the re-appointment of the retiring
Auditors and the fixing of the remuneration of the
Auditors.
|
LVI.
|
Chairman
of general meetings
|
A.
|
The
chairman of the board of Directors or, in his absence, the deputy chairman
(if any) or, in his absence, some other Director nominated by the
Directors shall preside as chairman at every general meeting of the
Company. If at any general meeting none of such persons shall
be present within fifteen minutes after the time appointed for the holding
of the meeting and willing to act, the Directors present shall elect one
of their number to be chairman of the meeting and, if there is only one
Director present and willing to act, he shall be
chairman.
|
B.
|
If
at any meeting no Director is willing to act as chairman or if no Director
is present within fifteen minutes after the time appointed for holding the
meeting, the Members present and entitled to vote shall choose one of the
Members personally present to be chairman of the
meeting.
|
LVII.
|
Directors'
and Auditors' right to attend general
meetings
|
|
A
Director shall be entitled, notwithstanding that he is not a Member, to
attend and speak at any general meeting and at any separate meeting of the
Holders of any class of Shares in the Company. The Auditors
shall be entitled to attend any general meeting and to be heard on any
part of the business of the meeting which concerns them as the
Auditors.
|
LVIII.
|
Adjournment
of general meetings
|
|
The
Chairman, with the consent of a meeting at which a quorum is present, may
(and if so directed by the meeting, shall) adjourn the meeting from time
to time (or sine die) and from place to place, but no business shall be
transacted at any adjourned meeting other than business which might
properly have been transacted at the meeting had the adjournment not taken
place. Where a meeting is adjourned sine die, the time and
place for the adjourned meeting shall be fixed by the
Directors. When a meeting is adjourned for fourteen days or
more or sine die, at least seven Clear Days' notice shall be given, in the
same manner as it was given for the meeting, specifying the time and place
of the adjourned meeting and the general nature of the business to be
transacted. Save as aforesaid it shall not be necessary to give
any notice of an adjourned meeting.
|
LIX.
|
Determination
of resolutions
|
|
At
any general meeting a resolution put to the vote of the meeting shall be
decided on a show of hands unless before, or on the declaration of the
result of, the show of hands a poll is duly demanded. Unless a
poll is so demanded a declaration by the Chairman that a resolution has
been carried or carried unanimously, or by a particular majority, or lost,
or not carried by a particular majority and an entry to that effect in the
minutes of the meeting shall be conclusive evidence of the fact without
proof of the number or proportion of the votes recorded in favour of or
against the resolution. The demand for a poll may be withdrawn
before the poll is taken but only with the consent of the Chairman, and a
demand so withdrawn shall not be taken to have invalidated the result of a
show of hands declared before the demand was
made.
|
LX.
|
Amendments
to resolutions
|
|
If
an amendment shall be proposed to any resolution under consideration but
shall in good faith be ruled out of order by the Chairman of the meeting,
the proceedings on the substantive resolution shall not be invalidated by
any error in such ruling.
|
LXI.
|
Entitlement
to demand poll
|
|
Subject
to the provisions of the Acts, a poll may be
demanded:-
|
A.
|
by
the chairman of the meeting;
|
B.
|
by
at least three Members present (in person or by proxy) having the right to
attend and vote at the meeting;
|
C.
|
by
any Member or Members present (in person or by proxy) representing in
aggregate not less than one-tenth of the total voting rights of all the
Members having the right to attend and vote at the meeting;
or
|
D.
|
by
a Member or Members present (in person or by proxy) holding Shares in the
Company conferring the right to attend and vote at the meeting being
Shares on which an aggregate sum has been paid up equal to not less than
one-tenth of the total sum paid up on all the Shares conferring that
right.
|
LXII.
|
Taking
of a poll
|
A.
|
Save
as provided in paragraph (b) of this Article, a poll shall be taken in
such manner as the Chairman directs and he may appoint scrutineers (who
need not be Members) and fix a time and place for declaring the result of
the poll. The result of the poll shall be deemed to be the
resolution of the meeting at which the poll was
demanded.
|
B.
|
A
poll demanded on the election of a chairman or on a question of
adjournment shall be taken forthwith. A poll demanded on any
other question shall be taken either forthwith or at such time (not being
more than thirty days after the poll is demanded) and place as the
chairman of the meeting may direct. The demand for a poll shall
not prevent the continuance of a meeting for the transaction of any
business other than the question on which the poll was
demanded. If a poll is demanded before the declaration of the
result of a show of hands and the demand is duly withdrawn, the meeting
shall continue as if the demand had not been
made.
|
C.
|
No
notice need be given of a poll not taken forthwith if the time and place
at which it is to be taken are announced at the meeting at which it is
demanded. In any other case at least seven Clear Days' notice
shall be given specifying the time and place at which the poll is to be
taken.
|
LXIII.
|
Votes
of Members
|
|
Votes
may be given either personally or by proxy. Subject to any
rights or restrictions for the time being attached to any class or classes
of Shares on a show of hands every Member present in person and every
proxy shall have one vote, so, however, that no individual shall have more
than one vote, and on a poll every Member shall have one vote for every
Share carrying voting rights of which he is the
Holder.
|
LXIV.
|
Chairman's
casting vote
|
|
Where
there is an equality of votes, whether on a show of hands or on a poll the
chairman of the meeting at which the show of hands takes place or at which
the poll is demanded shall be entitled to a casting vote in addition to
any other vote he may have.
|
LXV.
|
Voting
by joint Holders
|
|
Where
there are joint Holders of a Share, the vote of the senior who tenders a
vote, whether in person or by proxy, in respect of such Share shall be
accepted to the exclusion of the votes of the other joint Holders; and for
this purpose seniority shall be determined by the order in which the names
of the Holders stand in the Register in respect of the
Share.
|
LXVI.
|
Voting
by incapacitated Holders
|
|
A
Member of unsound mind, or in respect of whom an order has been made by
any court having jurisdiction (whether in the State or elsewhere) in
matters concerning mental disorder, may vote, whether on a show of hands
or on a poll, by his committee, receiver, guardian or other person
appointed by that court and any such committee, receiver, guardian or
other person may vote by proxy on a show of hands or on a
poll.
|
|
Evidence
to the satisfaction of the Directors of the authority of the person
claiming to exercise the right to vote pursuant to this Article shall be
deposited at the Office or at such other place as is specified in
accordance with these Articles for the deposit of instruments of proxy,
not less than forty-eight hours before the time appointed for holding the
meeting or adjourned meeting at which the right to vote is to be exercised
and in default the right to vote shall not be
exercisable.
|
LXVII.
|
Default
in payment of calls
|
|
Unless
the Directors otherwise determine, no Member shall be entitled to vote at
any general meeting or any separate meeting of the Holders of any class of
Shares in the Company, either in person or by proxy, or to exercise any
privilege as a Member in respect of any Share held by him unless all
moneys then payable by him in respect of that Share have been
paid.
|
LXVIII.
|
Restriction
of voting and other rights
|
A.
|
If
at any time the Directors shall determine that a Specified Event (as
defined in paragraph (h)) shall have occurred in relation to any Share or
Shares the Directors may serve a notice to such effect on the Holder or
Holders thereof. Upon the expiry of a period of 14 days following the
service of any such notice (in these Articles referred to as a
"Restriction Notice") and for so long as such Restriction Notice shall
remain in force, no Holder or Holders of the Share or Shares specified in
such Restriction Notice ("the Relevant Shares") shall be entitled to
attend or vote at any general meeting, either personally or by proxy in
respect of such Relevant Shares; and the Directors shall, where the
Restricted Shares represent not less than 0.25 per cent. of the total
number of issued Shares of the same class of Shares as the Relevant
Shares, be entitled:
|
1.
|
to
withhold payment of any dividend or other amount payable in respect of the
Relevant Shares without any liability to pay interest thereon when such
money is paid to the Member; and/or
|
2.
|
to
refuse to register any transfer of the Relevant Shares (other than a
transfer made as part of a sale to a bona fide unconnected third party
where evidence that such is the case has been provided to the Directors
upon a request being made by them in writing to the Holder or Holders of
the Relevant Shares) or any renunciation of new Shares or debentures made
in respect thereof.
|
B.
|
A
Restriction Notice shall be cancelled by the Directors as soon as
reasonably practicable, but in any event not later than forty-eight hours
after the Holder or Holders concerned or any other relevant person shall
have remedied the default by virtue of which the Specified Event shall
have occurred;
|
C.
|
A
Restriction Notice shall automatically cease to have effect in respect of
any Share transferred upon registration of the relevant transfer provided
that a Restriction Notice shall not cease to have effect in respect of any
transfer where no change in the beneficial ownership of the Share shall
occur and for this purpose it shall be assumed that no such change has
occurred where a transfer form in respect of the Share is presented for
registration having been stamped at a reduced rate of stamp duty by virtue
of the transferor or transferee claiming to be entitled to such reduced
rate as a result of the transfer being one where no beneficial interest
passes.
|
D.
|
The
Directors shall cause a notation to be made in the Register against the
name of any Holder or Holders in respect of whom a Restriction Notice
shall have been served indicating the number of Shares specified in such
Restriction Notice and shall cause such notation to be deleted upon
cancellation or cesser of such Restriction
Notice.
|
E.
|
Where
dividends or other payments are not paid as a result of restrictions
imposed on Relevant Shares, such dividends or other payments shall accrue
and shall be payable (without interest) upon the cancellation of the
Restriction Notice.
|
F.
|
Any
determination of the Directors and any notice or request served by them
pursuant to the provisions of this Article shall be conclusive as against
the Holder or Holders of any Share and the validity of any notice or
request served by the Directors in pursuance of this Article shall not be
questioned by any person.
|
G.
|
If,
while any Restriction Notice shall remain in force in respect of any
Holder or Holders of any Shares, such Holder or Holders shall be issued
with any further Shares as a result of such Holder or Holders not
renouncing any allotment of Shares made to him or them pursuant to a
capitalisation issue under Articles 122 to 124, the Restriction Notice
shall be deemed also to apply to such Holder or Holders in respect of such
further Shares on the same terms and conditions as were applicable to the
said Holder or Holders immediately prior to such issue of further
Shares.
|
H.
|
For
the purpose of these Articles the expression "Specified Event" in relation
to any Share shall mean either of the following
events:-
|
1.
|
the
failure by the Holder or Holders thereof to pay any call or installment of
a call in the manner and at the time appointed for payment thereof;
or
|
2.
|
the
failure by the Holder thereof or any of the Holders thereof or any other
relevant person to comply, to the satisfaction of the Directors, with all
or any of the terms of Section 81 of the 1990 Act and/or Article 7 in
respect of any notice or notices given to him or any of them
thereunder.
|
LXIX.
|
Time
for objection to voting
|
|
No
objection shall be raised to the qualification of any voter except at the
meeting or adjourned meeting at which the vote objected to is tendered and
every vote not disallowed at such meeting shall be valid. Any
such objection made in due time shall be referred to the chairman of the
meeting whose decision shall be final and
conclusive.
|
LXX.
|
Appointment
of proxy
|
|
Every
Member entitled to attend and vote at a general meeting may appoint a
proxy to attend, speak and vote on his behalf. The instrument
appointing a proxy shall be in writing in any usual form or in any other
form which the Directors may approve and shall be executed by or on behalf
of the appointor. The signature on such instrument need not be
witnessed. A body corporate may execute a form of proxy under
its common seal or under the hand of a duly authorised officer
thereof. A proxy need not be a Member of the
Company. No instrument of proxy shall be valid after twelve
months have elapsed from the date named in it as the date of its
execution.
|
LXXI.
|
Bodies
corporate acting by representatives at
meetings
|
|
Any
body corporate which is a Member of the Company may by resolution of its
Directors or other governing body authorise such person as it thinks fit
to act as its representative at any meeting of the Company or of any class
of Members of the Company and the person so authorised shall be entitled
to exercise the same powers on behalf of the body corporate which he
represents as that body corporate could exercise if it were an individual
Member of the Company.
|
LXXII.
|
Deposit
of proxy instruments
|
|
The
instrument appointing a proxy and any authority under which it is executed
or a copy of such authority, certified notarially or in some other way
approved by the Directors, shall be deposited at the Office or (at the
option of the Member) at such other place or places (if any) as may be
specified for that purpose in or by way of note to the notice convening
the meeting not less than forty-eight hours before the time appointed for
the holding of the meeting or adjourned meeting or (in the case of a poll
taken otherwise than at or on the same day as the meeting or adjourned
meeting) for the taking of the poll at which it is to be used, and in
default shall not be treated as valid. Provided
that:-
|
A.
|
in
the case of a meeting which is adjourned to, or a poll which is to be
taken on, a date which is less than seven days after the date of the
meeting which was adjourned or at which the poll was demanded, it shall be
sufficient if the instrument of proxy and any such authority and
certification thereof as aforesaid is lodged with the Secretary at the
commencement of the adjourned meeting or the taking of the poll;
and
|
B.
|
an
instrument of proxy relating to more than one meeting (including any
adjournment thereof) having once been so delivered for the purposes of any
meeting shall not require to be delivered again for the purposes of any
subsequent meeting to which it
relates.
|
LXXIII.
|
Effect
of proxy instruments
|
|
Deposit
of an instrument of proxy in respect of a meeting shall not preclude a
Member from attending and voting at the meeting or at any adjournment
thereof. The instrument appointing a proxy shall be valid,
unless the contrary is stated therein, as well for any adjournment of the
meeting as for the meeting to which it relates and shall be deemed to
include the right to demand or join in demanding a
poll.
|
LXXIV.
|
Effect
of revocation of proxy or of
authorisation
|
A.
|
A
vote given or poll demanded in accordance with the terms of an instrument
of proxy or a resolution authorising a representative to act on behalf of
a body corporate shall be valid notwithstanding the death or insanity of
the principal or the revocation of the instrument of proxy or of the
authority under which the instrument of proxy was executed or of the
resolution authorising the representative to act or transfer of the Share
in respect of which the instrument of proxy or the authorisation of the
representative to act was given, provided that no intimation in writing of
such death, insanity, revocation or transfer shall have been received by
the Company at the Office at least one hour before the commencement of the
meeting or adjourned meeting at which the instrument of proxy is used or
at which the representative
acts.
|
B.
|
The
Directors may send, at the expense of the Company, by post or otherwise,
to the Members instruments of proxy (with or without stamped envelopes for
their return) for use at any general meeting or at any class meeting,
either in blank or nominating any one or more of the Directors or any
other persons in the alternative. If for the purpose of any
meeting invitations to appoint as proxy a person or one of a number of
persons specified in the invitations are issued at the expense of the
Company, such invitations shall be issued to all (and not to some only) of
the Members entitled to be sent a notice of the meeting and to vote
thereat by proxy. The accidental omission to issue the
instruments herein referred to, or the non-receipt of any such invitation
by any Member entitled to receive such invitation shall not invalidate the
proceedings at any such meeting.
|
LXXV.
|
Number
of Directors
|
|
(a)
|
Unless
otherwise determined by the Company in General Meeting the number of
Directors shall not be more than fifteen nor less than
three. The continuing Directors may act notwithstanding any
vacancy in their body, provided that if the number of the Directors is
reduced below the prescribed minimum the remaining Director or Directors
shall appoint forthwith an additional Director or additional Directors to
make up such minimum or shall convene a general meeting of the Company for
the purpose of making such appointment. If there be no Director
or Directors able or willing to act then any two Members may summon a
general meeting for the purpose of appointing Directors. Any
additional Director so appointed shall hold office (subject to the
provisions of the Acts and these Articles) only until the conclusion of
the annual general meeting of the Company next following such appointment
unless he is re-elected during such meeting and he shall not retire by
rotation at such meeting or be taken into account in determining the
Directors who are to retire by rotation at such
meeting.
|
LXXVI.
|
Share
qualification
|
|
A
Director shall not require a Share
qualification.
|
LXXVII.
|
Ordinary
remuneration of Directors
|
|
The
ordinary remuneration of the Directors shall be determined from time to
time by an ordinary resolution of the Company and shall be divisible
(unless such resolution shall provide otherwise) among the Directors as
they may agree, or, failing agreement, equally, except that any Director
who shall hold office for part only of the period in respect of which such
remuneration is payable shall be entitled only to rank in such division
for a proportion of the remuneration related to the period during which he
has held office.
|
LXXVIII.
|
Special
remuneration of Directors
|
|
Any
Director who holds any executive office (including for this purpose the
office of Chairman or Deputy Chairman) or who serves on any committee, or
who otherwise performs services which in the opinion of the Directors are
outside the scope of the ordinary duties of a Director, may be paid such
extra remuneration by way of salary, commission or otherwise as the
Directors may determine.
|
LXXIX.
|
Expenses
of Directors
|
|
The
Directors may be paid all travelling, hotel and other expenses properly
incurred by them in connection with their attendance at meetings of
Directors or committees of Directors or general meetings or separate
meetings of the Holders of any class of Shares or of debentures of the
Company or otherwise in connection with the discharge of their
duties.
|
LXXX.
|
Alternate
Directors
|
A.
|
Any
Director may appoint by writing under his hand any person (including
another Director) to be his alternate provided always that no such
appointment of a person other than a Director as an alternate shall be
operative unless and until such appointment shall have been approved by
resolution of the Directors.
|
B.
|
An
alternate Director shall be entitled, subject to his giving to the Company
an address within the State, the United Kingdom or the United States of
America, to receive notices of all meetings of the Directors and of all
meetings of committees of Directors of which his appointor is a member, to
attend and vote at any such meeting at which the Director appointing him
is not personally present and in the absence of his appointor to exercise
all the powers, rights, duties and authorities of his
appointor as a Director (other than the right to appoint an
alternate hereunder).
|
C.
|
Save
as otherwise provided in these Articles, an alternate Director shall be
deemed for all purposes to be a Director and shall alone be responsible
for his own acts and defaults and he shall not be deemed to be the agent
of the Director appointing him. The remuneration of any such
alternate Director shall be payable out of the remuneration paid to the
Director appointing him and shall consist of such portion of the last
mentioned remuneration as shall be agreed between the alternate and the
Director appointing him.
|
D.
|
A
Director may revoke at any time the appointment of any alternate appointed
by him. If a Director shall die or cease to hold the office of
Director the appointment of his alternate shall thereupon cease and
determine but if a Director retires by rotation or otherwise but is
reappointed or deemed to have been reappointed at the meeting at which he
retires, any appointment of an alternate Director made by him which was in
force immediately prior to his retirement shall continue after his
re-appointment.
|
E.
|
Any
appointment or revocation pursuant to this Article 80 may be sent by
delivery, post, cable, telegram, telex, telefax, electronic mail or any
other means of communication approved by the Directors and may bear a
printed or facsimile signature of the Director making such appointment or
revocation or in any other manner approved by the
Directors.
|
LXXXI.
|
Directors'
powers
|
|
Subject
to the provisions of the Acts, the Memorandum of Association of the
Company and these Articles and to any directions by the Members given by
ordinary resolution, not being inconsistent with these Articles or with
the Acts, the business of the Company shall be managed by the Directors
who may do all such acts and things and exercise all the powers of the
Company as are not by the Acts or by these Articles required to be done or
exercised by the Company in general meeting. No alteration of
the Memorandum of Association of the Company or of these Articles and no
such direction shall invalidate any prior act of the Directors which would
have been valid if that alteration had not been made or that direction had
not been given. The powers given by this Article shall not be
limited by any special power given to the Directors by these Articles and
a meeting of Directors at which a quorum is present may exercise all
powers exercisable by the
Directors.
|
LXXXII.
|
Power
to delegate
|
|
Without
prejudice to the generality of the last preceding Article, the Directors
may delegate (with power to sub- delegate) any of their powers to any
Managing Director or any other Director holding any other executive office
and to any committee consisting of one or more Directors together with
such other persons (if any) as may be appointed to such committee by the
Directors provided that a majority of the members of each committee
appointed by the Directors shall at all times consist of Directors and
that no resolution of any such committee shall be effective unless a
majority of the members of the committee present at the meeting at which
it was passed are Directors. Insofar as any such power or
discretion is delegated to a committee any reference in these Articles to
the exercise by the Directors of the power or discretion so delegated
shall be read and construed as if it were a reference to the exercise
thereof by such a committee. Any such delegation may be made
subject to any conditions the Directors may impose, and either
collaterally with or to the exclusion of their own powers and may be
revoked. Subject to any such conditions, the proceedings of a
committee with two or more members shall be governed by the provisions of
these Articles regulating the proceedings of Directors so far as they are
capable of applying.
|
LXXXIII.
|
Appointment
of attorneys
|
|
The
Directors, from time to time and at any time by power of attorney under
seal, may appoint any company, firm or person or fluctuating body of
persons, whether nominated directly or indirectly by the Directors, to be
the attorney or attorneys of the Company for such purposes and with such
powers, authorities and discretions (not exceeding those vested in or
exercisable by the Directors under these Articles) and for such period and
subject to such conditions as they may think fit. Any such
power of attorney may contain such provisions for the protection of
persons dealing with any such attorney as the Directors may think fit and
may authorise any such attorney to sub-delegate all or any of the powers,
authorities and discretions vested in
him.
|
LXXXIV.
|
Local
management
|
|
Without
prejudice to the generality of Articles 82 and 83 the Directors may
establish any committees, local boards or agencies for managing any of the
affairs of the Company, either in the State or elsewhere, and may appoint
any persons to be members of such committees, local boards or agencies and
may fix their remuneration and may delegate to any committee, local board
or agent any of the powers, authorities and discretions vested in the
Directors with power to sub-delegate and any such appointment or
delegation may be made upon such terms and subject to such conditions as
the Directors may think fit, and the Directors may remove any person so
appointed, and may annul or vary any such delegation, but no person
dealing in good faith with any such committee, local board or agency,
without notice of any such removal, annulment or variation shall be
affected thereby.
|
LXXXV.
|
Borrowing
powers
|
|
The
Directors may exercise all the powers of the Company to borrow or raise
money and to mortgage or charge its undertaking, property, assets, and
uncalled capital or any part thereof subject to Part III of the 1983 Act
and to issue debentures, debenture stock and other securities whether
outright or as collateral security for any debt, liability or obligation
of the Company or of any third party, without any limitation as to
amount.
|
LXXXVI.
|
Execution
of negotiable instruments
|
|
All
cheques, promissory notes, drafts, bills of exchange and other negotiable
instruments and all receipts for moneys paid to the Company shall be
signed, drawn, accepted, endorsed or otherwise executed, as the case may
be, by such person or persons and in such manner as the Directors shall
determine from time to time by
resolution.
|
LXXXVII.
|
Provision
for employees
|
|
The
Directors may exercise any power conferred by the Acts to make provision
for the benefit of persons employed or formerly employed by the Company or
any of its subsidiaries in connection with the cessation or the transfer
to any person of the whole or any part of the undertaking of the Company
or that subsidiary.
|
LXXXVIII.
|
Retirement
by rotation
|
A.
|
At
each annual general meeting of the Company one third of the Directors who
are subject to retirement by rotation, rounded down to the next whole
number if it is a fractional number, shall retire from office, but if
there is only one Director who is subject to retirement by rotation then
he shall retire.
|
B.
|
The
Directors, (including any Directors holding executive office pursuant to
these Articles) to retire by rotation shall be those who have been longest
in office since their last appointment or reappointment but as between
persons who became or were last reappointed Directors on the same day
those to retire shall be determined (unless they otherwise agree among
themselves) by lot.
|
C.
|
A
Director who retires at an annual general meeting may be reappointed, if
willing to act. If he is not reappointed (or deemed to be
reappointed pursuant to these Articles) he shall retain office until the
meeting appoints someone in his place or, if it does not do so, until the
end of the meeting.
|
|
(d)
|
Notwithstanding
any other provision of this Article 88, if any of the Directors who are
Directors of the Company on the date of adoption of these Articles retires
prior to or at the Third Annual General Meeting held following the date of
adoption of these Articles, other than in accordance with the provisions
of this Article 88 (a "Retiring Director"), any Director appointed to
replace any such Director or, for the avoidance of doubt, any Director
taking the place on the Board originally held by a Retiring Director (in
each case a "Substitute Director") shall be deemed to have been appointed
a Director of the Company on the date on which the Retiring Director was
appointed a Director of the Company, solely for the purpose of determining
which of the Directors are to retire by rotation in accordance with the
provisions of this Article 88. If no Director is appointed to
replace any such Retiring Director or any Substitute Director then,
notwithstanding that no such Director is appointed, none of the Directors
of the Company on the date of adoption of these Articles shall be required
to retire in accordance with the provisions of this Article 88 at an
earlier date than he could otherwise have been required to retire had such
Retiring Director not retired and the number of Directors to retire at any
annual general meeting in accordance with the provisions of this Article
88 shall accordingly be reduced, if necessary. The terms of
this Article 88(d) shall cease to apply following the Third Annual General
Meeting held following the date of adoption of these
Articles.
|
LXXXIX.
|
Deemed
reappointment
|
|
If
the Company, at the meeting at which a Director retires by rotation, does
not fill the vacancy, the retiring Director, if willing to act, shall be
deemed to have been re-appointed unless at the meeting it is resolved not
to fill the vacancy or a resolution for the reappointment of the Director
is put to the meeting and lost.
|
XC.
|
Eligibility
for appointment
|
|
No
person other than a Director retiring by rotation shall be appointed a
Director at any general meeting unless he is recommended by the Directors
or, not less than seven nor more than forty two Clear Days before the date
appointed for the meeting, a notice executed by a Member entitled to vote
at the meeting has been given to the Company of the intention to propose
that person for appointment stating the particulars which would be
required, if he were so appointed, to be included in the Company's
register of Directors together with notice executed by that person of his
willingness to be appointed. No Director shall be required to
retire on account of age.
|
XCI.
|
Appointment
of additional Directors
|
|
Subject
as aforesaid, the Company by ordinary resolution may appoint a person to
be a Director either to fill a vacancy or as an additional Director and
may also determine the rotation in which any additional Directors are to
retire.
|
|
The
Directors may appoint a person who is willing to act to be a Director,
either to fill a vacancy or as an additional Director, provided that the
appointment does not cause the number of Directors to exceed any number
fixed by or in accordance with these Articles as the maximum number of
Directors. A Director so appointed shall hold office only until
the next following annual general meeting and shall not be taken into
account in determining the Directors who are to retire by rotation at the
meeting. If not re-appointed at such annual general meeting,
such Director shall vacate office at the conclusion
thereof.
|
XCII.
|
Disqualification
of Directors
|
|
The
office of a Director and, in the case of (f) the office of the Chairman,
shall be vacated ipso facto if:-
|
A.
|
he
ceases to be a Director by virtue of any provision of the Acts or he
becomes prohibited by law from being a
Director;
|
B.
|
he
becomes bankrupt or makes any arrangement or composition with his
creditors generally;
|
C.
|
in
the opinion of a majority of his co-Directors, he becomes incapable by
reason of mental disorder of discharging his duties as a
Director;
|
D.
|
(not
being a Director holding for a fixed term an executive office in his
capacity as a Director) he resigns his office by notice to the
Company;
|
E.
|
he
is convicted of an indictable offence, unless the Directors determine
otherwise;
|
F.
|
he
shall have been absent for more than six consecutive months without
permission of the Directors from meetings of the Directors held during
that period and his alternate director (if any) shall not have attended
any such meeting in his place during such period and the Directors pass a
resolution that by reason of such absence he has vacated
office;
|
G.
|
he
is removed from office by notice in writing served upon him signed by all
his co-directors; if he holds an appointment to an executive office which
thereby automatically determines, such removal shall be deemed an act of
the Company and shall have effect without prejudice to any claim for
damages for breach of any contract of service between him and the
Company.
|
XCIII.
|
Removal
of Directors
|
|
The
Company, by ordinary resolution of which extended notice has been given in
accordance with the provisions of the Acts, may remove any Director before
the expiry of his period of office notwithstanding anything in these
Articles or in any agreement between the Company and such Director and
may, if thought fit, by ordinary resolution appoint another Director in
his stead. The person appointed shall be subject to retirement
at the same time as if he had become a Director on the date on which the
Director in whose place he is appointed was last appointed a
Director. Nothing in this Article shall be taken as depriving a
person removed hereunder of compensation or damages payable to him in
respect of the termination of his appointment as Director or of any
appointment terminating with that of
Director.
|
XCIV.
|
Executive
offices
|
A.
|
The
Directors may appoint one or more of their body to the office of Managing
Director or to any other executive office under the Company (including,
where considered appropriate, the office of the Chairman) on such terms
and for such period as they may determine and, without prejudice to the
terms of any contract entered into in any particular case, may revoke any
such appointment at any time.
|
B.
|
A
Director holding any such executive office shall receive such
remuneration, whether in addition to or in substitution for his ordinary
remuneration as a Director and whether by way of salary, commission,
participation in profits or otherwise or in any combination of the
foregoing as the Directors may
determine.
|
C.
|
The
appointment of any Director to the office of Chairman or Managing Director
shall determine automatically if he ceases to be a Director (other than
where he is re-appointed as a Director at an Annual General Meeting of the
Company having retired by rotation in accordance with these Articles) but
without prejudice to any claim for damages for breach of any contract of
service between him and the
Company.
|
D.
|
The
appointment of any Director to any other executive office shall not
determine automatically if he ceases from any cause to be a Director
unless the contract or resolution under which he holds office shall
expressly state otherwise, in which event such determination shall be
without prejudice to any claim for damages for breach of any contract of
service between him and the
Company.
|
E.
|
A
Director may hold any other office or place of profit under the Company
(except that of Auditor) in conjunction with his office of Director, and
may act in a professional capacity to the Company, on such terms as to
remuneration and other-wise as the Directors shall
arrange.
|
XCV.
|
Disclosure
of interests by Directors
|
|
A
Director or shadow director of the Company who is in any way, whether
directly or indirectly, interested in a contract or proposed contract with
the Company shall comply with the provisions of Section 194 of the 1963
Act with regard to the disclosure of such interest by
declaration.
|
XCVI.
|
Directors'
interests
|
A.
|
A
Director notwithstanding his office but subject to his having disclosed
any interest which he is required to disclose whether by these Articles or
the Acts in accordance with these Articles or the Acts as the case may
be:-
|
1.
|
may
be a party to, or otherwise interested in, any transaction or arrangement
with the Company or any subsidiary or Associated Company thereof or in
which the Company or any subsidiary or Associated Company thereof is
otherwise interested;
|
2.
|
may
be a Director or other officer of, or employed by, or a party to any
transaction or arrangement with, or otherwise interested in, any body
corporate promoted by the Company or in which the Company or any
subsidiary or Associated Company thereof is otherwise interested;
and
|
3.
|
shall
not be accountable, by reason of his office, to the Company for any
benefit which he derives from any such office or employment or from any
such transaction or arrangement or from any interest in any such body
corporate and no such transaction or arrangement shall be liable to be
avoided on the ground of any such interest or
benefit.
|
B.
|
No
Director or intended Director shall be disqualified by his office from
contracting with the Company either as vendor, purchaser or otherwise, nor
shall any such contract or any contract or arrangement entered into by or
on behalf of the other company in which any Director shall be in any way
interested be avoided nor shall any Director so contracting or being so
interested be liable to account to the Company for any profit realised by
any such contract or arrangement by reason solely of such Director holding
that office or of the fiduciary relationship thereby
established. The nature of a Director's interest must be
declared by him at the meeting of the Directors at which the question of
entering into the contract or arrangement is first taken into
consideration or, if the Director was not at the date of that meeting
interested in the proposed contract or arrangements at the next meeting of
the Directors held after he became so interested, and in a case where the
Director becomes interested in a contract or arrangement after it is made
at the first meeting of the Directors held after he becomes so
interested.
|
C.
|
A
copy of every declaration made and notice given under this Article shall
be entered within three days after the making or giving thereof in a book
kept for this purpose. Such book shall be open for inspection
without charge by any Director, Secretary, Auditor or Member of the
Company at the Office and shall be produced at every general meeting of
the Company and at any meeting of the Directors if any Director so
requests in sufficient time to enable the book to be available at the
meeting.
|
D.
|
For
the purposes of this Article:-
|
1.
|
a
general notice given to the Directors that a Director is to be regarded as
having an interest of the nature and extent specified in the notice in any
transaction or arrangement in which a specified person or class of persons
or company is interested shall be deemed to be a disclosure that the
Director has an interest in any such transaction of the nature and extent
so specified with the relevant party;
and
|
2.
|
an
interest of which a Director has no knowledge and of which it is
unreasonable to expect him to have knowledge shall not be treated as an
interest of his.
|
XCVII.
|
Restriction
on Directors' voting
|
A.
|
Save
as otherwise provided by these Articles, a Director shall not vote at a
meeting of the Directors or a committee of Directors on any resolution
concerning a matter in which he has, directly or indirectly or together
with any person or persons connected with him an interest which is
material or a duty which conflicts or may conflict with the interests of
the Company. A Director shall not be counted in the quorum present at a
meeting in relation to any such resolution on which he is not entitled to
vote.
|
B.
|
A
Director shall be entitled (unless he has some material interest or duty
which conflicts or may conflict with the interests of the Company which is
not indicated below) to vote (and be counted in the quorum) in respect of
any resolutions concerning any of the following matters,
namely:-
|
1.
|
the
giving of any security, guarantee or indemnity to him in respect of money
lent by him or by any other person at the request of or for
the benefit of the Company or any of its subsidiary companies or obligations
incurred by him or any other person on
behalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries at the request of or for
the benefit of the Company or any of its subsidiary
companies;
|
2.
|
the
giving of any security, guarantee or indemnity to a third party in respect
of a debt or obligation of the Company or any of its subsidiary
companies for which he
himself has assumed responsibility in whole or in part and whether alone
or jointly with others under a guarantee or indemnity or by the giving of
security;
|
|
3.
|
the
subscription or purchase of shares, debentures or other securities of the
Company or any of its subsidiary companies pursuant to an
offer or invitation to members or debenture holders of the Company or any
of its subsidiary companies or any class of them, or to the public or any
section of the public in which offer or invitation he is or may be
entitled to participate as a holder of securities or in which he is or is
to be interested as a participant in the underwriting or sub-underwriting
thereof;
|
4.
|
any
proposal concerning any other company in which he is interested, directly
or indirectly or together with any person or persons connected with him
and whether as an officer or shareholder or otherwise howsoever, provided
that he is not the holder of or beneficially interested, directly or
indirectly in one per cent. or more of the issued shares of any class of
such company or of the voting rights available to members of such company
(any such interest being deemed for the purposes of this Article to be a
material interest in all
circumstances);
|
5.
|
any
proposal concerning the adoption, modification or operation of a
superannuation fund or retirement benefits scheme under which he may
benefit and which has been approved by or is subject to and conditional
upon approval for taxation purposes by the appropriate Revenue authorities
which does not award the Director any privilege or benefit not generally
awarded to the employees to whom such arrangement or scheme
relates;
|
6.
|
any
proposal concerning the adoption, modification or operation of any scheme
for enabling employees (including full time executive Directors) of the
Company and/or any subsidiary thereof to acquire Shares in the Company or
any arrangement for the benefit of employees of the Company or any of its
subsidiaries which does not award the Director any privilege or benefit
not generally awarded to the employees to whom such scheme or arrangement
relates; or
|
7.
|
any
proposal concerning insurance which the Company proposes to maintain or
purchase for the benefit of the Directors or for the benefit of persons
including the Directors.
|
C.
|
Where
proposals are under consideration concerning the appointment (including
fixing or varying the terms of appointment) of two or more Directors to
offices or employments with the Company or any company in which the
Company is interested such proposals may be divided and considered in
relation to each Director separately and in such case each of the
Directors concerned (if not debarred from voting thereon),
shall be entitled to vote (and be counted in the quorum) in respect of
each resolution except that concerning his own
appointment.
|
D.
|
If
a question arises at a meeting of Directors or of a committee of Directors
as to the materiality of a Director's interest or as to the right of any
Director to vote and such question is not resolved by his voluntarily
agreeing to abstain from voting, such question may be referred, before the
conclusion of the meeting, to the chairman of the meeting and his ruling
in relation to any Director other than himself shall be final and
conclusive except in a case where the nature or extent of the interest of
such Director has not been fully and fairly disclosed; provided that, if
such question arises in relation to the chairman of the meeting, he shall
temporarily vacate the chair.
|
E.
|
For
the purposes of this Article, an interest of a person who is the spouse or
a minor child of a Director shall be treated as an interest of the
Director and in relation to an alternate director, an interest of his
appointor shall be treated as an interest of the alternate
director.
|
XCVIII.
|
Entitlement
to grant pensions
|
|
The
Directors may provide benefits, whether by way of pensions, gratuities or
otherwise, for any Director, former Director or other officer or former
officer of the Company or to any person who holds or has held any
employment with the Company or with any body corporate which is or has
been a subsidiary of or an Associated Company of the Company or a
predecessor in business of the Company, any subsidiary of the Company or
of any such Associated Company and to any member of his family or any
person who is or was dependent on him and may set up, establish, support,
alter, maintain and continue any scheme for providing all or any such
benefits and for such purposes any Director accordingly may be, become or
remain a member of, or rejoin, any scheme and receive or retain for his
own benefit all benefits to which he may be or
become
|
XCIX.
|
Convening
and regulation of Directors'
meetings
|
A.
|
Subject
to the provisions of these Articles, the Directors may regulate their
proceedings as they think fit. A Director may, and the Secretary at the
request of a Director shall, call a meeting of the Directors. Any Director
may waive notice of any meeting and any such waiver may be retrospective.
If the Directors so resolve, it shall not be necessary to give notice of a
meeting of Directors to any Director who, being a resident of the State,
is for the time being absent from the State. At least seven
days notice must be given to each Director of a meeting of the
Directors.
|
B.
|
Notice
of a meeting of the Directors shall be deemed to be duly given to a
Director if it is in writing and is either given to him or is sent by
delivery, post, cable, telegram, telex, telefax, electronic mail or any
other means of communication approved by the Directors to him at his last
known address or any other address given by him to the Company for this
purpose.
|
C.
|
Quorum
for Directors' meetings
|
A.
|
The
quorum for the transaction of the business of the Directors may be fixed
by the Directors and unless so fixed at any other number shall be three. A
person who holds office only as an alternate director shall, if his
appointer is not present, be counted in a quorum but notwithstanding that
such person may act as alternate director for more than one Director he
shall not count as more than one for the purposes of determining whether a
quorum is present.
|
B.
|
Any
Director who ceases to be a Director at a meeting of the Directors may
continue to be present and to act as a Director and to be counted in the
quorum until the termination of the meeting provided no other Director
objects and provided also that otherwise a quorum of Directors would not
be present.
|
C.
|
The
continuing Directors or a sole Director may act notwithstanding any
vacancies in their number but if the number of Directors is less than the
number fixed as the quorum, they may act only for the purpose of filling
vacancies or of calling a general
meeting.
|
CI.
|
Voting
at Directors' meetings
|
A.
|
Questions
arising at any meeting of Directors shall be decided by a majority of
votes. Where there is an equality of votes, the chairman of the
meeting shall have a second or casting
vote.
|
B.
|
Subject
as hereinafter provided, each Director present and voting shall have one
vote and in addition to his own vote shall be entitled to one vote in
respect of each other Director not present at the meeting who shall have
authorised him in respect of such meeting to vote for such other Director
in his absence. Any such authority may relate generally to all
meetings of the Directors or to any specified meeting or meetings
and
|
CII.
|
Telecommunication
meetings
|
|
Any
Director may participate in a meeting of the Directors or any committee of
the Directors by means of conference telephone or other telecommunications
equipment by means of which all persons participating in the meeting can
hear each other speak and such participation in a meeting shall constitute
presence in person at the meeting but such Director shall not be counted
in assessing whether any quorum is present at such
meeting.
|
CIII.
|
Chairman
of the board of Directors
|
|
Subject
to any appointment to the office of Chairman made pursuant to these
Articles, the Directors may elect a chairman of their meetings and
determine the period for which he is to hold office, but if no such
chairman is elected or if at any meeting the chairman is unwilling to act
or is not present within five minutes after the time appointed for holding
the same the Deputy Chairman if any, shall be the chairman of the meeting
or if he is unwilling to act or is not present within five minutes after
the time appointed for holding the same the Directors present may choose
one of their number to be chairman of the
meeting.
|
CIV.
|
Validity
of acts of Directors
|
|
All
acts done by any meeting of the Directors or of a committee of Directors
or by any person acting as a Director, notwithstanding that it be
afterwards discovered that there was some defect in the appointment of any
such Director or person acting as aforesaid, or that they or any of them
were disqualified from holding office or had vacated office, shall be as
valid as if every such person had been duly appointed and was qualified to
be a Director, had continued to be a Director and had been entitled to
vote.
|
CV.
|
Directors'
resolutions or other documents in
writing
|
|
A
resolution or other document in writing signed by all the Directors
entitled to receive notice of a meeting of Directors or of a committee of
Directors shall be as valid as if it had been passed at a meeting of
Directors or (as the case may be) a committee of Directors; duly convened
and held and may consist of several documents in the like form each signed
by one or more Directors but a resolution signed by an alternate director
need not also be signed by his appointer and, if it is signed by a
Director who has appointed an alternate director, it need not be signed by
the alternate director in that capacity. Such resolution or
other document or documents when duly signed may be delivered or
transmitted (unless the Directors shall otherwise determine either
generally or in any specific case) by facsimile transmission or some other
similar means of transmitting the contents of documents (including by
means of Electronic
Communication).
|
CVI.
|
Appointment
of secretary
|
|
The
Secretary shall be appointed by the Directors for such term, at such
remuneration and upon such conditions as they may think fit and any
Secretary so appointed may be removed by them. Anything
required or authorised by the Acts or these Articles to be done by or to
the Secretary may be done by or to any assistant or acting Secretary or,
if there is no assistant or acting Secretary readily available and capable
of acting, by or to any officer or employee of the Company authorised
generally or specially in that behalf by the Directors: Provided that any
provision of the Acts or these Articles requiring or authorising a thing
to be done by or to a Director and the Secretary shall not be satisfied by
its being done by or to the same person acting both as a Director and as,
or in the place of, the Secretary.
|
CVII.
|
Use
of Seal
|
|
The
Directors shall ensure that the Seal shall be used only by the authority
of the Directors or of a committee authorised by the
Directors.
|
CVIII.
|
Seal
for use abroad
|
|
The
Company may exercise the powers conferred by the Acts with regard to
having an official seal for use abroad and such powers shall be vested in
the Directors.
|
CIX.
|
Signature
of sealed instruments
|
A.
|
Subject
as provided in paragraph (b) of this Article, every instrument to which
the Seal shall be affixed shall, as part of the sealing process, be signed
by at least one Director or other person duly authorised in that behalf by
the Directors and by the Secretary or one of the persons authorised as
aforesaid (who has not already signed) and, in favour of any purchaser or
person dealing with the Company in good faith, such signatures shall be
conclusive evidence of the fact that the Seal has been properly
affixed.
|
B.
|
The
Directors may by resolution determine, either generally or in any
particular case, that in respect of certificates for Shares or debentures
or other securities of the Company, the signature of any Director or of
the Secretary or other person authorised by the Directors as aforesaid
forming part of the sealing process may be applied or effected by
non-autographic means, or that such certificates shall bear no signatures,
and in favour of any registered holder or other person acquiring any such
Shares or debentures or other securities in good faith a certificate
executed in any of the modes of execution authorised herein shall be as
valid and effective as if such certificate was issued under the Seal of
the Company pursuant to these
Articles.
|
CX.
|
Declaration
of dividends
|
A.
|
Subject
to the provisions of the Acts, the Company by ordinary resolution may
declare dividends in accordance with the respective rights of the Members,
but no dividend shall exceed the amount recommended by the
Directors. Dividends may be declared or paid in any
currency.
|
B.
|
The
Directors may at their discretion make provision to enable any Holder of
Ordinary Shares as they shall from time to time determine to receive
dividends duly declared in a currency or currencies other than
Euro. For the purposes of the circulation of the amount
receivable in respect of any dividend, the rate of exchange to be used to
determine the foreign currency equivalent of any sum payable as a dividend
shall be such market rate selected by the Directors as they shall consider
appropriate ruling at the close of business in Dublin on the date which is
the business day last preceding (a) in the case of a dividend to be
declared by the Company in general meeting, the date on which the
Directors publicly announce their intention to recommend that specific
dividend and (b) in the case of any other dividend, the date on which the
Directors publicly announce their intention to pay that specific
dividend.
|
C.
|
Where
a Holder of Ordinary Shares has elected or agreed pursuant to provision
made under these Articles to receive dividends in a currency other than
Euro the Directors may at their discretion make such arrangements as they
deem necessary to enable payment of the dividend to be made to such
Holders in such currency for value on the date on which the relevant
dividend is paid, or such later date as the Directors may
determine.
|
|
The
Directors may, if authorised by an ordinary resolution of the Company,
offer any Holders of Ordinary Shares the right to elect to receive
Ordinary Shares, credited as fully paid, instead of cash in respect of the
whole (or some part, to be determined by the Directors) of any dividend
specified by the ordinary resolution. The following provisions
shall apply (subject always to the provisions of the
Acts):
|
A.
|
An
ordinary resolution may specify a particular dividend, or may specify all
or any dividends declared within a specified period, but such period may
not end later than the beginning of the annual general meeting next
following the date of the meeting at which the ordinary resolution is
passed.
|
B.
|
The
entitlement of each Holder of Ordinary Shares to new Ordinary Shares shall
be such that the relevant value of the entitlement shall be as nearly as
possible equal to (but not greater than) the cash amount (disregarding any
tax credit) of the dividend that such holder elects to
forgo. For this purpose, "relevant value" shall be calculated
by reference to the average of the middle market quotations for the
Company's Ordinary Shares on Nasdaq or such other Stock Exchange upon
which the Company's Ordinary Shares are admitted as derived from the daily
official list, on the day on which the Ordinary Shares are first quoted
"ex" the relevant dividend and the four subsequent dealing days, or in
such manner as may be determined by or in accordance with the ordinary
resolution. A certificate or report by the auditors as to the
amount of the relevant value in respect of any dividend shall be
conclusive evidence of that amount.
|
C.
|
On
or as soon as practicable after announcing that the Company is to declare
or recommend any dividend, the Directors, if they intend to offer an
election in respect of that dividend, shall also announce that intention,
and shall after determining the basis of allotment, if they decide to
proceed with the offer, notify the Holders of Ordinary Shares in writing
of the right of election offered to them and specify the procedure to be
followed and place at which, and the latest time by which elections must
be lodged in order to be effective. Any election by a holder of
Ordinary Shares shall be binding on every successor in title to the
Ordinary Shares in respect of which the election is
made.
|
D.
|
The
Directors shall not proceed with any election unless the Company has
sufficient unissued Shares authorised for issue and sufficient reserves or
funds that may be capitalised to give effect to it after the basis of
allotment is determined.
|
E.
|
The
Directors may exclude from any offer any Holders of Ordinary Shares where
the Directors believe that the making of the offer to them would or might
involve the contravention of the laws of any territory or that for any
other reason the offer should not be made to
them.
|
F.
|
The
dividend (or that part of the dividend in respect of which a right of
election has been offered) shall not be payable on Ordinary Shares in
respect of which an election has been made ("the elected Ordinary Shares")
and instead additional Ordinary Shares shall be allotted to the holders of
the elected Ordinary Shares on the basis of allotment calculated as
stated. For such purpose the Directors shall capitalise, out of
any amount for the time being standing to the credit of any reserve or
fund (including the profit and loss account) whether or not the same is
available for distribution as the Directors may determine, a sum equal to
the aggregate nominal amount of the additional Ordinary Shares to be
allotted on that basis and apply it in paying up in full the appropriate
number of unissued Ordinary Shares for allotment and distribution to the
holders of the elected Ordinary Shares on that basis and the provisions of
Article 123 shall apply mutatis mutandis to any capitalisation made
pursuant to this Article.
|
G.
|
The
additional Ordinary Shares when allotted shall rank pari passu in all
respects with the fully-paid Ordinary Shares then in issue except that
they will not be entitled to participation in the relevant
dividend.
|
|
(h)
|
(i)
|
The
Directors may do all acts and things considered necessary or expedient to
give effect to any such capitalisation with full power for the Directors
to make such provisions as they think fit in the case of Shares becoming
distributable in fractions (including provisions whereby, in whole or in
part, the fractional entitlements are disregarded and, the benefit of
fractional entitlements accrues to the Company rather than to the Members
concerned). The Directors may authorise any person to enter on
behalf of all the Members interested into an agreement with the Company
providing for such capitalisation and matters incidental thereto and any
agreement made under such authority shall be effective and binding on all
concerned. The Directors may, in their absolute discretion, if
it shall in their opinion seem expedient, suspend or terminate (whether
temporarily or otherwise) such right to elect and may do such acts and
things considered necessary or expedient with regard to, or in order to
effect, any such suspension or
termination;
|
|
(ii)
|
Notwithstanding
the foregoing, the Directors may at any time prior to payment of the
relevant dividend determine, if it appears to them desirable to do so
because of a change in circumstances, that the dividend shall be payable
wholly in cash and if they so determine then all elections made shall be
disregarded. The relevant dividend shall be payable wholly in
cash if the Ordinary Shares of the Company cease to be listed or dealt in
on any recognised stock exchange at any time prior to the due date of
issue of the additional Ordinary Shares or, if such listing is suspended
and not reinstated by the date immediately preceding the due date of such
issue.
|
CXII.
|
Interim
and fixed dividends
|
|
Subject
to the provisions of the Acts, the Directors may declare and pay interim
dividends if it appears to them that they are justified by the profits of
the Company available for distribution. If the share capital is
divided into different classes, the Directors may declare and pay interim
dividends on Shares which confer deferred or non-preferred rights with
regard to dividend as well as on Shares which confer preferential rights
with regard to dividend, but subject always to
any
|
CXIII.
|
Payment
of dividends
|
A.
|
Except
as otherwise provided by the rights attached to Shares, all dividends
shall be declared and paid according to the amounts paid up on the Shares
on which the dividend is paid. Subject as aforesaid, all dividends shall
be apportioned and paid proportionately to the amounts paid or credited as
paid on the Shares during any portion or portions of the period in respect
of which the dividend is paid; but, if any Share is issued on terms
providing that it shall rank for dividend as from a particular date, such
Share shall rank for dividend accordingly. For the purposes of this
Article, no amount paid on a Share in advance of calls shall be treated as
paid on a Share.
|
B.
|
If
several persons are registered as joint Holders of any Share, any one of
them may give effectual receipts for any dividend or other moneys payable
on or in respect of the Share.
|
CXIV.
|
Deductions
from dividends
|
|
The
Directors may deduct from any dividend or other moneys payable to any
Member in respect of a Share any moneys presently payable by him to the
Company in respect of that Share.
|
CXV.
|
Dividends
in specie
|
|
A
general meeting declaring a dividend may direct, upon the recommendation
of the Directors, that it shall be satisfied wholly or partly by the
distribution of assets (and, in particular, of paid up Shares, debentures
or debenture stock of any other company or in any one or more of such
ways) and the Directors shall give effect to such
resolution. Where any difficulty arises in regard to the
distribution, the Directors may settle the same as they think expedient
and in particular may issue fractional certificates and fix the value for
distribution of such specific assets or any part thereof in order to
adjust the rights of all the parties and may determine that cash payments
shall be made to any Members upon the footing of the value so fixed and
may vest any such specific assets in
trustees.
|
CXVI.
|
Payment
of dividends by post
|
|
Any
dividend or other moneys payable in respect of any Share may be paid by
cheque or warrant sent by post, at the risk of the person or persons
entitled thereto, to the registered address of the Holder or, where there
are joint Holders, to the registered address of that one of the joint
Holders who is first named on the Register or to such person and to such
address as the Holder or joint Holders may in writing
direct. Every such cheque or warrant shall be made payable to
the order of the person to whom it is sent and payment of the cheque or
warrant shall be a good discharge to the Company. Any joint
Holder or other person jointly entitled to a Share as aforesaid may give
receipts for any dividend or other moneys payable in respect of the
Share. The Directors may also, in circumstances which they
consider appropriate, arrange for payment of dividends
by
|
CXVII.
|
Dividends
not to bear interest
|
|
No
dividend or other moneys payable by the Company on or in respect of any
Shares shall bear interest against the Company unless otherwise provided
by the rights attached to the
Shares.
|
CXVIII.
|
Payment
to Holders on a particular date
|
|
Any
resolution declaring a dividend on Shares of any class, whether a
resolution of the Company in general meeting or a resolution of the
Directors, may specify that the same may be payable to the persons
registered as the Holders of such Shares at the close of business on a
particular date, notwithstanding that it may be a date prior to that on
which the resolution is passed, and thereupon the dividend shall be
payable to them in accordance with their respective holdings so
registered, but without prejudice to the rights inter se of transferors
and transferees of any such Shares in respect of such
dividend. The provisions of this Article shall apply, mutatis
mutandis, to capitalisations to be effected in pursuance of these
Articles.
|
CXIX.
|
Unclaimed
dividends
|
|
If
the Directors so resolve, any dividend which has remained unclaimed for
twelve years from the date of its declaration shall be forfeited and cease
to remain owing by the Company. The payment by the Directors of
any unclaimed dividend or other moneys payable in respect of a Share into
a separate account shall not constitute the Company a trustee in respect
thereof. Any dividend, interest or other sum payable which
remains unclaimed for one year after having been declared may be invested
or otherwise made use of by the Directors for the benefit of the Company
until claimed.
|
CXX.
|
Reserves
|
|
Before
recommending any dividend, whether preferential or otherwise, the
Directors may carry to reserve out of the profits of the Company such sums
as they think proper. All sums standing to reserve may be
applied from time to time at the discretion of the Directors for any
purpose to which the profits of the Company may be properly applied and at
the like discretion may be either employed in the business of the Company
or invested in such investments as the Directors may lawfully
determine. The Directors may divide the reserve into such
special funds as they think fit and may consolidate into one fund any
special funds or any parts of any special funds into which the reserve may
have been divided as they may lawfully determine. Any sum which
the Directors may carry to reserve out of the unrealised profits of the
Company shall not be mixed with any reserve to which profits available for
distribution have been carried. The Directors may also carry
forward, without placing the same to reserve, any profits which they may
think it prudent not to divide.
|
CXXI.
|
Accounts
|
A.
|
The
Directors shall cause to be kept proper books of account, whether in the
form of documents or otherwise,
that:
|
1.
|
correctly
record and explain the transactions of the
Company,
|
2.
|
will
at any time enable the financial position of the Company to be determined
with reasonable accuracy,
|
3.
|
will
enable the Directors to ensure that any balance sheet, profit and loss
account or income and expenditure account of the Company complies with the
requirements of the Acts, and
|
4.
|
will
enable the accounts of the Company to be readily and properly
audited.
|
B.
|
The
books of account of the Company shall be kept on a continuous and
consistent basis, that is to say, the entries therein shall be made in a
timely manner and be consistent from one year to the
next.
|
C.
|
Proper
books shall not be deemed to be kept if there are not kept such books of
account as comply with the Acts and as are necessary to give a true and
fair view of the state of the Company's affairs and to explain its
transactions.
|
D.
|
The
books of account shall be kept at the Office or, subject to the provisions
of the Acts, at such other place as the Directors think fit and shall be
open at all reasonable times to the inspection of the
Directors.
|
E.
|
In
accordance with the provisions of the Acts, the Directors shall cause to
be prepared and to be laid before the annual general meeting of the
Company from time to time such profit and loss accounts, balance sheets,
group accounts and reports as are required by the Acts to be prepared and
laid before such meeting.
|
F.
|
A
copy of every balance sheet (including every document required by law to
be annexed thereto) which is to be laid before the annual general meeting
of the Company together with a copy of the Directors' report and Auditors'
report shall be sent, not less than twenty-one Clear Days before the date
of the annual general meeting, to every person entitled under the
provisions of the Acts to receive them; and the required number of copies
of these documents shall be forwarded at the same time to the appropriate
sections of The Stock Exchanges.
|
G.
|
Auditors
shall be appointed and removed and their duties regulated in accordance
with the Acts.
|
CXXII.
|
Capitalisation
of profits and reserves
|
|
Without
prejudice to any powers conferred on the Directors by these Articles, the
Company in general meeting may resolve, upon the recommendation of the
Directors, that any sum for the time being standing to the credit of any
of the Company's reserves (including any capital redemption reserve fund
or Share premium account) or to the credit of the profit and loss account
be capitalised and applied on behalf of the Members who would have been
entitled to receive that sum if it had been distributed by way of dividend
and in the same proportions either in or towards paying up amounts for the
time being unpaid on any Shares held by them respectively, or
in
|
CXXIII.
|
Capitalisation
and use of non-distributable profits and
reserves
|
|
Without
prejudice to any powers conferred on the Directors as aforesaid, the
Company in general meeting may resolve, on the recommendation of the
Directors, that it is desirable to capitalise any part of the amount for
the time being standing to the credit of any of the Company's reserve
accounts or to the credit of the profit and loss account which is not
available for distribution by applying such sum in paying up in full
unissued Shares to be allotted as fully paid bonus Shares to those Members
of the Company who would have been entitled to that sum if it were
distributable and had been distributed by way of dividend (and in the same
proportions) and the Directors shall give effect to such
resolution.
|
CXXIV.
|
Implementation
of capitalisation issues
|
|
Whenever
such a resolution is passed in pursuance of either of the two immediately
preceding Articles, the Directors shall make all appropriations and
applications of the undivided profits resolved to be capitalised thereby
and all allotments and issues of fully paid Shares or debentures, if any,
and generally shall do all acts and things required to give effect thereto
with full power to the Directors to make such provisions as they shall
think fit for the case of Shares or debentures becoming distributable in
fractions (and, in particular, without prejudice to the generality of the
foregoing, either to disregard such fractions or to sell the Shares or
debentures represented by such fractions and distribute the net proceeds
of such sale to and for the benefit of the Company or to and for the
benefit of the Members otherwise entitled to such fractions in due
proportions) and to authorise any person to enter on behalf of all the
Members concerned into an agreement with the Company providing for the
allotment to them respectively, credited as fully paid up, of any further
Shares or debentures to which they may become entitled on such
capitalisation or, as the case may require, for the payment up by the
application thereto of their respective proportions of the profits
resolved to be capitalised of the amounts remaining unpaid on their
existing Shares and any agreement made under such authority shall be
binding on all such Members.
|
CXXV.
|
Notices
in writing
|
|
Any
notice to be given, served or delivered pursuant to these Articles shall
be in writing or by sending the same by electronic mail or other form of
Electronic Communication approved by the Directors to the address of any
Member notified to the Company by the Member for such
purpose.
|
CXXVI.
|
Service
of notices
|
A.
|
A
notice or document (including a Share certificate) to be given, served or
delivered in pursuance of these Articles may be given to, served on or
delivered to any Member by the
Company:
|
1.
|
by
handing same to him or his authorised
agent;
|
2.
|
by
leaving the same at his registered address;
or
|
3.
|
by
sending the same by the post in a pre-paid cover addressed to him at his
registered address.
|
4.
|
if
by sending the same by electronic mail or by other form of Electronic
Communication approved by the Directors to the address of a Member
notified to the Company by the Member for such
purpose.
|
B.
|
Where
a notice or document is given, served or delivered pursuant to sub
paragraph (a)(i) or (ii) of this Article, the giving, service or delivery
thereof shall be deemed to have been effected at the time the same was
handed to the Member or his authorised agent, or left at his registered
address (as the case may be).
|
C.
|
Where
a notice or document is given, served or delivered pursuant to
sub-paragraph (a)(iii) of this Article, the giving, service or delivery
thereof shall be deemed to have been effected at the expiration of
twenty-four hours after the cover containing it was posted. In
proving service or delivery it shall be sufficient to prove that such
cover was properly addressed, stamped and posted. Where a
notice or document is given, served or delivered pursuant to sub-paragraph
(iv) of this Article, the giving, service or delivery thereof shall be
deemed to have been effected at the expiration of forty-eight (48) hours
after the dispatch of the Electronic Communication and a transaction
report shall be conclusive evidence
thereof.
|
D.
|
Every
legal personal representative, committee, receiver, curator bonis or other
legal curator, assignee in bankruptcy or liquidator of a Member shall be
bound by a notice given as aforesaid if sent to the last registered
address of such Member, notwithstanding that the Company may have notice
of the death, lunacy, bankruptcy, liquidation or disability of such
Member.
|
E.
|
Without
prejudice to the provisions of sub-paragraphs [(a) (i), (ii) and (iv)] of
this Article, if at any time by reason of the suspension or curtailment of
postal services within the State, the Company is unable effectively to
convene a general meeting by notice sent through the post, a general
meeting may be convened by a notice advertised on the same day in at least
one leading national daily newspaper published in the State (and one
national daily newspaper published in the United Kingdom and the United
States of America) and such notice shall be deemed to have been duly
served on all Members entitled thereto at noon on the day on which the
said advertisement or advertisements shall appear. In any such
case the Company shall send confirmatory copies of the notice through the
post to those Members whose registered addresses are outside the State (if
or to the extent that in the opinion of the Directors it is practical so
to do) or are in areas of the State unaffected by such suspension or
curtailment of postal services and if at least ninety-six hours prior to
the time appointed for the holding of the meeting the posting of notices
to Members in the State, or any part thereof which was previously
affected, has become practical in the opinion of the Directors, the
Directors shall send forthwith confirmatory copies of the notice by post
to such Members. The accidental omission to give any such
confirmatory copy of a notice of a meeting to, or the non-receipt of any
such confirmatory copy by, any person entitled to receive the same shall
not invalidate the proceedings at the
meeting.
|
F.
|
Notwithstanding
anything contained in this Article the Company shall not be obliged to
take account of or make any investigations as to the existence of any
suspension or curtailment of postal services within or in relation to all
or any part of any jurisdiction or area other than the
State.
|
CXXVII.
|
Notices
to members
|
|
Any
Member whose registered address is not within the State, the United
Kingdom, the United States of America, the Channel Islands or the Isle of
Man and who gives to the Company an address within any of the above
territories at which notices may be served upon him shall be entitled to
have notices served upon him at that address or shall be entitled to
receive notices by electronic mail, or other formal Electronic
Communication approved by the Directors, to be sent to an address notified
to the Company by the Member for such purpose but unless he does so shall
not be entitled to receive any notice from the
Company.
|
CXXVIII.
|
Service
on joint Holders
|
|
A
notice may be given by the Company to the joint Holders of a Share by
giving the notice to the joint Holder whose name stands first in the
Register in respect of the Share or, in the case of a notice sent by
electronic mail or other form of Electronic Communication approved by the
Directors, to the address in respect of the Joint Holding notified to the
Company by the Joint Holders for such purpose, and notice so given shall
be sufficient notice to all the joint
Holders.
|
CXXIX.
|
Service
on transfer or transmission of
Shares
|
A.
|
Every
person who becomes entitled to a Share shall before his name is entered in
the Register in respect of the Share, be bound by any notice in respect of
that Share which has been duly given to a person from whom he derives his
title provided that the provisions of this paragraph shall not apply to
any notice served under Article 68 unless, under the provisions of Article
68(c), it is a notice which continues to have effect notwithstanding the
registration of a transfer of the Shares to which it
relates.
|
B.
|
Without
prejudice to the provisions of these Articles allowing a meeting to be
convened by newspaper advertisement, a notice may be given by the Company
to the persons entitled to a Share in consequence of the death or
bankruptcy of a Member by sending or delivering it, in any manner
authorised by these Articles for the giving of notice to a Member,
addressed to them at the address (inclusive of an electronic address), if
any, supplied by them for that purpose. Until such an address
has been supplied, a notice may be given in any manner in which it might
have been given if the death or bankruptcy had not
occurred.
|
CXXX.
|
Signature
to notices
|
|
The
signature to any notice to be given by the Company may be written or
printed or, in the case of a notice in electronic form the signature may
be an Electronic Signature, Advanced Electronic Signature or otherwise as
the Directors may approve.
|
CXXXI.
|
Deemed
receipt of notices
|
|
A
Member present, either in person or by proxy, at any meeting of the
Company or the Holders of any class of Shares in the Company shall be
deemed to have received notice of the meeting and, where requisite, of the
purposes for which it was
called.
|
CXXXII.
|
Distribution
on winding up
|
|
If
the Company shall be wound up and the assets available for distribution
among the Members as such shall be insufficient to repay the whole of the
paid up or credited as paid up share capital, such assets shall be
distributed so that, as nearly as may be, the losses shall be borne by the
Members in proportion to the capital paid up or credited as paid up at the
commencement of the winding up on the Shares held by them
respectively. And if in a winding up the assets available for
distribution among the Members shall be more than sufficient to repay the
whole of the share capital paid up or credited as paid up at the
commencement of the winding up, the excess shall be distributed among the
Members in proportion to the capital at the commencement of the winding up
paid up or credited as paid up on the said Shares held by them
respectively. Provided that this Article shall not affect the
rights of the Holders of Shares issued upon special terms and
conditions.
|
CXXXIII.
|
Distribution
in specie
|
|
If
the Company is wound up, the liquidator, with the sanction of a special
resolution of the Company and any other sanction required by the Acts, may
divide among the Members in specie or kind the whole or any part of the
assets of the Company (whether they shall consist of property of the same
kind or not) and, for such purpose, may value any assets and determine how
the division shall be carried out as between the Members or different
classes of Members. The liquidator, with the like sanction, may
vest the whole or any part of such assets in trustees upon such trusts for
the benefit of the contributories as, with the like sanction, he
determines, but so that no Member shall be compelled to accept any assets
upon which there is a liability.
|
CXXXIV.
|
Minutes
of meetings
|
|
The
Directors shall cause minutes to be made of the following matters,
namely:-
|
A.
|
of
all appointments of officers and committees made by the Directors and of
their salary or remuneration;
|
B.
|
of
the names of Directors present at every meeting of the Directors and of
the names of any Directors and of all other members thereof present at
every meeting of any committee appointed by the Directors;
and
|
C.
|
of
all resolutions and proceedings of all meetings of the Company and of the
Holders of any class of Shares in the Company and of the Directors and of
committees appointed by the
Directors.
|
|
Any
such minute as aforesaid, if purporting to be signed by the Chairman of
the meeting at which the proceedings were held, or by the Chairman of the
next succeeding meeting, shall be receivable as prima facie evidence of
the matters stated in such minute without any further
proof.
|
CXXXV.
|
Inspection
|
|
The
Directors shall determine from time to time whether and to what extent and
at what times and places and under what conditions or regulations the
accounts and books of the Company or any of them shall be open to the
inspection of Members, not being Directors, and no Member (not being a
Director) shall have any right of inspecting any account or book or
document of the Company except as conferred by the Acts or authorised by
the Directors or by the Company in general meeting. No Member
shall be entitled to require discovery of or any information respecting
any detail of the Company's trading, or any matter which is or may be in
the nature of a trade secret, mystery of trade, or secret process which
may relate to the conduct of the business of the Company and which in the
opinion of the Directors it would be inexpedient in the interests of the
Members of the Company to communicate to the
public.
|
|
Every
officer of the Company or other person employed in the business of the
Company shall, when required by the Directors before entering upon his
duties, sign a declaration pledging himself to observe a strict secrecy
respecting the business of the Company and all transactions of the Company
with its customers and the state of accounts with individuals, and in
matters relating thereto and shall by such declaration pledge himself not
to reveal any of the matters which may come to his knowledge in the
discharge of his duties, except when required to do so by the Directors or
by any general meeting or by a court of law or by the person to whom such
matters relate, and except so far as may be necessary in order to comply
with any of the provisions of these
Articles.
|
CXXXVII.
|
Destruction
of records
|
|
The
Company shall be entitled to destroy all instruments of transfer which
have been registered at any time after the expiration of six years from
the date of registration thereof, all notifications of change of address
at any time after the expiration of two years from the date of recording
thereof and all Share certificates and dividend mandates which have been
cancelled or ceased to have effect at any time after the expiration of one
year from the date of such cancellation or cessation. It shall
be presumed conclusively in favour of the Company that every entry in the
Register purporting to have been made on the basis of an instrument of
transfer or other document so destroyed was duly and properly made and
every instrument duly and properly registered and every Share certificate
so destroyed was a valid and effective document duly and properly
cancelled and every other document hereinbefore mentioned so destroyed was
a valid and effective document in accordance with the recorded particulars
thereof in the books or records of the Company. Provided always
that:
|
A.
|
the
provision aforesaid shall apply only to the destruction of a document in
good faith and without notice of any claim (regardless of the parties
thereto) to which the document might be
relevant;
|
B.
|
nothing
herein contained shall be construed as imposing upon the Company any
liability in respect of the destruction of any document earlier than as
aforesaid or in any other circumstances which would not attach to the
Company in the absence of this Article;
and
|
C.
|
references
herein to the destruction of any document include references to the
disposal thereof in any manner.
|
CXXXVIII.
|
Untraced
Shareholders
|
|
The
Company may sell any Shares in the Company on behalf of a Holder, or
person entitled by transmission to, the Shares,
if:-
|
A.
|
the
Shares have been in issue throughout the qualifying period and at least
three cash dividends have become payable on the Shares during the
qualifying period;
|
B.
|
no
cash dividend payable on the Shares has either been claimed by
presentation to the paying bank of the relative cheque or warrant or been
satisfied by the crediting of any account which the Holder has with the
Company, whether in the sole name of such Holder or jointly with another
person or persons, or by the transfer of funds to a bank account
designated by the Holder of, or person entitled by transmission to, the
Shares at any time during the relevant
period;
|
C.
|
the
Company has not at any time during the relevant period received, so far as
the Company at the end of the relevant period is then aware, any
communication from the Holder of, or person entitled by transmission to,
the Shares;
|
D.
|
the
Company has caused advertisements giving notice of its intention to sell
the Shares to be published in a leading daily newspaper with a national
circulation in the State and another in a newspaper circulating in the
area of the address shown in the register of the Holder of, or person
entitled by transmission to, the untraced Shares, and (in either such
case) a period of three months has elapsed from the date of publication of
the advertisement; and
|
E.
|
the
Company has given notice to the relevant departments of The Stock
Exchanges of its intention to make the
sale.
|
|
For
the purposes of this Article:
|
|
"the qualifying period"
means the period of twelve years immediately preceding the date of
publication of the relevant advertisements referred to in sub-paragraph
(d) above;
|
|
"the relevant period"
means the period beginning at the commencement of the qualifying period
and ending on the date when all the requirements of sub-paragraphs (a) to
(e) above have been satisfied.
|
|
For
the purposes of sub-paragraph (c) above, a statutory declaration that the
declarant is a Director of the Company or the secretary and that the
Company was not aware at the end of the relevant period of having at any
time during the relevant period received any communication from the Holder
of, or person entitled by transmission to, the Shares shall be conclusive
evidence of the facts stated in it as against all persons claiming to be
entitled to the Shares.
|
|
If,
after the publication of the advertisement referred to in sub-paragraph
(d) above but before the Company has become entitled to sell the Shares
pursuant to this Article, the requirements of sub- paragraph (b) or (c)
above cease to be satisfied, the Company may nevertheless sell those
Shares after the requirements of sub-paragraphs (a) to (e) above have been
satisfied afresh in relation to
them.
|
|
If
during any relevant period further Shares have been issued in right of
those held at the beginning of that relevant period or of any previously
so issued during that relevant period and all the requirements of sub-
paragraphs (b) to (e) above have been satisfied in regard to the further
Shares, the Company may also sell the further
Shares.
|
|
The
manner, timing and terms of any sale of Shares pursuant to this Article
(including but not limited to the price or prices at which the same is
made) shall be such as the Directors determine, based upon advice from
such bankers, brokers or other persons as the Directors consider
appropriate which are consulted by it for the purposes, to be reasonably
practicable having regard to all the circumstances including the number of
Shares to be disposed of and
the
|
|
To
give effect to any sale of Shares pursuant to this Article the Directors
may take such steps as the Directors consider are necessary or desirable
in order to effect such sale and, for this purpose, may authorise some
person to transfer the Shares in question and may enter the name of the
transferee in respect of the transferred Shares in the register
notwithstanding the absence of any Share certificate being lodged in
respect thereof and may issue a new certificate to the transferee and an
instrument of transfer executed by that person or such other method of
transfer as is employed by this person shall be as effective as if it had
been executed or employed by the Holder of, or person entitled by
transmission to, the Shares. The purchaser shall not be bound
to see to the application of the purchase moneys nor shall his title to
the Shares be affected by any irregularity or invalidity in the
proceedings relating to the sale.
|
|
The
Company shall account to the Holder or other person entitled to such
Shares for the net proceeds of such sale by carrying all moneys in respect
thereof to a separate account which shall be a permanent debt of the
Company and the Company shall be deemed to be a debtor and not a trustee
in respect thereof for such Holder or other person. Moneys
carried to such separate account may be either employed in the business of
the Company or invested in such investments as the Directors may think
fit, from time to time.
|
CXXXIX.
|
Indemnity
|
|
Subject
to the provisions of and so far as may be permitted by the Acts, every
Director, Managing Director, Secretary or other officer of the Company
shall be entitled to be indemnified by the Company against all costs,
charges, losses, expenses, and liabilities incurred by him in the
execution and discharge of his duties or in relation thereto including any
liability incurred by him in defending any proceedings, civil or criminal,
which relate to anything done or omitted or alleged to have been done or
omitted by him as an officer or employee of the Company and in which
judgment is given in his favour (or the proceedings are otherwise disposed
of without any finding or admission of any material breach of duty on his
part) or in which he is acquitted or in connection with any application
under any statute for relief from liability in respect of any such act or
omission in which relief is granted to him by the
Court.
|
|
To
the extent permitted by law, the Directors may arrange insurance cover at
the cost of the Company in respect of any liability, loss or expenditure
incurred by any Director or officer in relation to anything done or
alleged to have been done or omitted to be done by him as Director or
officer.
|