The Companies (Audit, Investigations and Community Enterprise) (Northern Ireland) Order 2005

New companies

35.—(1) If a company is to be formed as a community interest company, the documents delivered to the registrar of companies under Article 21 of the 1986 Order (memorandum, articles and statement of names and particulars of directors and secretary) must be accompanied by the prescribed formation documents.

(2) “The prescribed formation documents” means such statutory declarations or other declarations or statements as are required by regulations to accompany the documents delivered under that Article, in such form as may be approved in accordance with the regulations.

(3) On receiving the documents delivered under that Article and the prescribed formation documents the registrar of companies must (instead of registering the memorandum and articles)—

(a)forward a copy of each of the documents to the Regulator, and

(b)retain the documents pending the Regulator’s decision.

(4) The Regulator must decide whether the company is eligible to be formed as a community interest company.

(5) A company is eligible to be formed as a community interest company if—

(a)the memorandum and articles comply with the requirements imposed by and under Article 31 and the company’s name complies with Article 32, and

(b)the Regulator, having regard to the documents delivered under Article 21 of the 1986 Order, the prescribed formation documents and any other relevant considerations, considers that the company will satisfy the community interest test and is not an excluded company.

(6) The Regulator must give notice of the decision to the registrar of companies (but the registrar is not required to record it).

(7) If the Regulator gives notice of a decision that the company is eligible to be formed as a community interest company, Article 23 of the 1986 Order (registration of memorandum and articles) applies; and if the registrar registers the memorandum and articles he must also retain and record the prescribed formation documents.

(8) The certificate of incorporation under Article 24 of the 1986 Order (effect of registration) is to contain a statement that the company is a community interest company.

(9) The fact that the certificate of incorporation contains such a statement is conclusive evidence that the company is a community interest company.

(10) If the Regulator decides that the company is not eligible to be formed as a community interest company, any subscriber to the memorandum may appeal to the Appeal Officer against the decision.