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Corporate Veil

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Corporate veil

Introduction

With the contemporary appreciation of the separate entity principle in courts, it has become increasingly difficult to predict the outcome of cases with precision as in the case of Salomon v. Salomon & Co Ltd (1897). Separate corporate personality has been firmly recognized by common law after the verdict given in the case of Salomon v. Salomon & Co Ltd (1897). It was confirmed that a corporation has legal right, personality, and obligations completely divergent from those of its shareholders (Tweedale and Flynn, 2007, p.270). Courts and legislation nevertheless sometimes “pierce the corporate veil” in a bid to hold the shareholders personally accountable for the corporation’s liabilities. Courts …show more content…

Similarly, “2002 Housing 21, L.L.C. Vs Atlantic Home Builders Company Case” enhances the notion of legal identity of the company, where investors identities were termed irrelevant in suit where L.L.C, stood as a distinct legal entity (Miller, 2002, p.20).

Dictum/statement of Lord MacNaughten

Regarding the Salomon case, shareholders of the corporation would not involuntarily, in their individual capability, be liable to the profits nor would they be predisposed for the errands or the company’s obligations. It therefore, had the impact that shareholders’ rights or obligations were limited to their capital invested and profits. The court, per the dicta of lord Macnaghten held “ The corporation is at law a diverse individual on the whole from the individuals subscribed to the memorandum” Nevertheless, the courts stated clearly that in the case of dishonesty and fraud being illustrated, the separate corporate personality is dumped. The Lord McNaughton is disagreeable the court should look through a corporation to hold the corporate shareholders personally or directly accountable for the corporation obligations. This is the case when the shareholders blur the distinction between the company and the shareholders. Since, even though a corporate is a legal entity, it acts through human agents that make it up (Bukola, 2002, p.15).

When subscribers of a company might be personally liable for the company’s debt

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