Section 466: Dissolution of Company Law Board and consequential provisions

Companies Act • Official Statutory Text & Practice Guide

Statutory Regulation
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Act 2013
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Legal Commentary & Landmark Judgments: Section 466

Section 466 provides for the formal dissolution of the Company Law Board (CLB) and the seamless transfer of its officers, employees, pending matters, and records to the National Company Law Tribunal.

  • Formal Abolition of CLB: Directs that on the date notified by the Central Government, the Company Law Board constituted under the 1956 Act shall stand formally dissolved.
  • Automatic Transfer of Pending Proceedings: Mandates that all matters, proceedings, and petitions pending before the CLB shall stand transferred to the NCLT to be heard de novo or from the stage reached.
  • Protection of Staff and Tenure: Guarantees that every officer and employee of the CLB shall become an officer or employee of the NCLT on the same terms, conditions, and remuneration without disadvantageous alteration.
Key Landmark Precedents:
  • Union of India v. R. Gandhi, President, Madras Bar Association, (2010) 11 SCC 1: Outlined the constitutional roadmap for dissolving the Company Law Board and vesting its jurisdiction in the specialized NCLT and NCLAT.
  • Madras Bar Association v. Union of India, (2015) 8 SCC 583: Upheld the legislative competence of Parliament to dissolve the CLB and transfer its company law adjudicatory functions to the newly constituted NCLT and NCLAT.
  • Board of Trustees of Port of Mumbai v. Dilipkumar Raghavendranath Nadkarni, (1983) 1 SCC 124: Affirmed the principle that employees transferred upon statutory dissolution of a board retain their service protections and continuity of tenure.
Courtroom Practice & Strategic Litigation Guidance:

For historical company matters that originated before the Company Law Board and were transferred to NCLT, ensure that all original CLB pleadings and affidavits are formally placed on record before the NCLT with an index confirming transitional continuity under Section 466.