Meeting - Definition - Law Dictionary Home Dictionary Definition meeting

Definition :

Meeting, an assembly of persons whose consent is required for anything to decide, by a proper majority of votes, whether or not that thing shall be done; e.g., the meeting of the town council under s. 22 of the (English) Municipal Corporations Acts, 1882 (45 & 46 Vict. c. 50), or (English) Local Government Act, 1933 (23 & 24 Geo.5, c. 51), s. 75.

By Common Law in the absence of other provisions a corporation is bound by the majority present at a regular corporate meeting and not only by an absolute majority of the corporation (this does not apply to companies), Perrott and Perrott Ltd. v. Stephenson, (1934) 1 Ch 171; and see Kyd on Corporations, Vol. 1, p. 400; or of the parish or parish council: see PARISH COUNCIL; PARISHMEETING. Also a meeting of the shareholders of a company under ss. 66-80 of the (English) Companies Clauses Act, 1845 (8 & 9 Vict. c. 16). As to meetings of creditors, see (English) Bankruptcy Act, 1914, ss. 13, 79 and 95. A company formed under the Companies Act, 1929, and limited by shares must hold a general meeting ('statutory meeting') not earlier than one nor later than three months after the date upon which it may begin business (s. 112), and an 'annual general meeting' each year (s. 113). 'Extraordinary meetings' are meetings called upon requisition of holders of one-tenth of the capital-carrying votes (s. 114), to transact special business, which is previously notified to those concerned; an ordinary meeting may also be convened by members or by the Court (s. 115).

As to meetings by creditors and contributories, see WINDING-UP. A resolution at an adjourned meeting is dated by the date of passing.

Meetings of seditious societies are restrained by the (English) Seditious Meetings Act, 1817 (57 Geo. 3, c. 19). In Thomas v. Sawkins, (1935) 2 KB 249, the right was upheld to enter private premises to attend a meeting to which the public were invited, in reasonable anticipation of misdemeanours or breach of the peace. and see also PUBLIC MEETING. Consult Crewe, Procedure at Pub. and Co. Meetings.