Companies Act 2006 Introduction

The Companies Act 2006 is the most significant companies legislation since 1948. It contains a massive 1300 sections and 16 schedules. It was brought into effect in stages, starting in January 2007 with the final, and main, provisions becoming operative on 1st. October 2009.

The Companies Act 2006 brought in some very major changes to UK company law, involving new documentation, new companies forms, and new procedures. Even in those areas of the Act which are essentially restatements of the existing law the wording has often been amended and there are usually small detailed changes that are easily overlooked.

On this website you will find:

The text of the Companies Act2006 by a link to the OPSI website

A list of Parts and Chapters
(We include this because the Act is so long. The contents pages of the Act itself run to 59 pages. We find our list is a useful way of finding our way around the Act)

Other legislation
Statutory Instruments
The Companies Act is supplemented by Regulations covering particular aspects, such as company names, etc

Other Acts of Parliament
Partnerships are covered by the Partnership Act 1890,
Limited liability partnerships (LLPs) by the Limited Liability Partnerships Act 2000,
Community Interest Companies (CICs) by the Companies (Audit, Investigations and Community Enterprise) Act 2004
Directors disqualification orders by the Company Directors' Disqualification Act 1986
Liquidation, administration and receivership legislation can be found on the Insolvency Service website