少數股東要求透露及查閱公司文件和紀錄 Inspecting Company’s Records and Documents by Minority Shareholders

 少數股東要求透露及查閱公司文件和紀錄

Wong Kar Gee Mimi v Hung Kin Sang Raymond & Anor [2011] 5 HKC 361一案中法庭定下了股東只有正當理由和真誠行事，便可查閱公司文件和紀錄的原則。香港法例第622章《公司條例》第740條也訂立了相同的原則。股東這個權益對少數股東猶其重要。少數股東在一般議程上沒有話事權，又未必能查閱公司的內部文件。當遇到不公時，少數股東可行使這權力。

在Wong Kar Gee中，原告因主觀及客觀上都有正當理由懷疑公司存在不當行為和真實行事而獲准查閱被告公司的紀錄。最近Wong Tak Ming & Anor v Creative Pacific Ltd [2020] HKCU 1456的判決中，法庭運用了第740條的原則認為原告有正當理由和真誠行事。原告表示公司黑箱作業，沒有任何解釋便告知原告的投資損失達港幣$6,600,000。

由此可見，只要有正當理由及真誠行事，股東便不難向法庭申請查閱公司文件和紀錄。

Inspecting Company’s Records and Documents by Minority Shareholders
It is established in the case of Wong Kar Gee Mimi v Hung Kin Sang Raymond & Anor [2011] 5 HKC 361 that shareholders have a right to apply for a court order to inspect company’s documents given that there is a proper purpose and good faith. The test is enshrined in the Companies Ordinance (Cap.622) s.740. This right is particularly important to minority shareholders, who might be put in an unjust position without the power to control the board, do not have access to the company’s documents.

In Wong Kar Gee, the plaintiff was entitled to inspect the defendant’s records because she has a proper purpose both subjectively and objectively and that she honestly believed that there were wrongdoings in the company. In a recent case Wong Tak Ming & Anor v Creative Pacific Ltd [2020] HKCU 1456, the court applied the same test to hold that the inspection of company’s records was made in good faith and for a proper purpose despite placing a limit to the records to be inspected, because the plaintiffs were kept in the dark to the company’s affairs and were informed that their investments of HK$6,600,000 had been lost without any explanation.

Therefore, shareholders would be given ‘liberty to apply’ for an inspection order if they can prove a proper purpose and good faith.