Meetings and filing requirements Meetings of companies and other bodies
A company may be required by legislation or its constitution to take certain key decisions by passing a resolution of the members of the company (for example, a change to the company’s articles of association). Public companies can only pass a resolution of the members by holding a general meeting (section 281 of the Companies Act 2006 ("the CA 2006")), and other companies may be required to do so as a consequence of their articles.
	Members also have the right to require directors to call a general meeting (section 303, CA 2006). Public companies and certain private companies have a statutory duty to hold an annual general meeting ("AGM") within a specified period and failure to comply is a criminal offence (section 336, CA 2006). Mutual societies (including registered branches of friendly societies) and charitable incorporated organisations may also be required to hold an AGM or other meetings by legislation or their own constitution or rules.
	The constitution or rules of companies and other bodies may also require that AGMs and other meetings are held in a particular way. For example, it may be required that meetings be held in person or at a particular place. In March the Government introduced temporary emergency measures across the UK which required certain businesses to close, which prevented anyone leaving the place where they live without reasonable excuse and which banned public gatherings of more than two people. These emergency restrictions have been put in place to limit the spread of COVID-19 but may have prevented, and may continue to prevent, companies and other bodies from being able to hold AGMs at the time required by, and in a manner consistent with, legislation or their constitutional arrangements.
	These measures are intended to introduce temporary relaxations to enable companies and other bodies to hold AGMs and other meetings in a manner that is consistent with their constitutional arrangements and the need to limit the spread of COVID-19. During the temporary period in which these measures are in force, companies and other bodies will be given greater flexibility as to the manner in which such meetings are held. For example, they will be able hold meetings, and allow votes to be cast, by electronic means.
	The measures also make provision to extend the period within which companies and other bodies must hold an AGM, in order to offer further flexibility if required. Those bodies with a deadline for holding an AGM expiring between 26 March 2020 and 30 September 2020 will be given until 30 September to hold their AGM, taking advantage of the more flexible arrangements for holding such meetings which are introduced by this Act. There is also a power to provide for further temporary extensions of any deadlines for holding an AGM.
	These measures will only apply in respect of a temporary period which begins on 26 March 2020 and runs until the end of September. There is a power to extend that period by up to three months at a time, but the temporary period cannot be extended beyond the end of the current financial year.