Building Societies Act, 1976

Proxies.

54.—(1) Any member of a society entitled to attend and vote at a meeting of the society shall be entitled to appoint another person as his proxy to attend and vote instead of him, and a proxy so appointed shall have the same right as the member to speak at the meeting and to vote on a poll.

(2) In every notice calling a meeting of a society there shall appear with reasonable prominence a statement that a member entitled to attend and vote is entitled to appoint a proxy to attend, speak and vote instead of him and that a proxy need not be a member of the society.

(3) Any provision in the rules of a society which would have the effect of requiring the instrument appointing a proxy (or any other document necessary to show the validity of, or otherwise relating to, the appointment of a proxy) to be received by the society or any other person more than 48 hours before a meeting or adjourned meeting in order that the appointment may be effective at the meeting, shall be void.

(4) The instrument appointing a proxy shall be in such form as the Registrar may direct.

(5) Subject to subsection (6), where for the purposes of any meeting of a society invitations to appoint as proxy a person or one of a number of persons specified in the invitations are issued at the society's expense to some only of the members entitled to attend the meeting and to vote at the meeting by proxy, every officer of the society who knowingly and wilfully authorises or permits such issue shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction on indictment to a fine not exceeding £300.

(6) An officer shall not be liable under subsection (5) by reason only of the issue to a member at his request in writing of a form of appointment naming the proxy or of a list of persons willing to act as proxy, if the form or list is available on request in writing to every member entitled to vote at the meeting by proxy.