Corporate Insolvency and Governance Bill receives Royal Assent

The Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020 (the Act) received Royal Assent, with most provisions coming into force on 26 June 2020. The Act addresses numerous issues arising for businesses from the COVID-19 pandemic to give distressed businesses the breathing space they need to get advice and seek a rescue

Some of the key provisions of the Act are as follows:

• introduces temporary easements for Annual General Meetings (AGMs) and filing requirements for public limited companies (PLCs)
• introduces new corporate restructuring tools to the insolvency regime to give companies the time they need to maximise their chance of survival
• temporarily suspends parts of insolvency law to support directors during this difficult time

Under the secondary legislation, companies will temporarily receive an automatic extension for:

• confirmation statements
• registrations of charges (mortgage)
• event-driven filings, such as a change to your company’s directors or people with significant control

Most companies will also be given more time to file their accounts. If a company is eligible, Companies House will update the filing deadline automatically and the new deadline should be adhered to. Companies do not need to apply for an extension.