Companies Act 2014 section 786

Expenses relating to examination of books or documents

Section 786 deals with who may be required to pay the costs incurred by the Corporate Enforcement Authority when it examines a company's books or documents following a formal direction to produce them.

• The court may, on application by the Corporate Enforcement Authority, direct a company to repay some or all of the Authority's expenses of examining books or documents produced under a formal direction.
• Where court proceedings result in a conviction, an order to pay damages or restore property, or an award of damages or property restoration, the court may also order the person involved to repay the Authority's examination expenses.
• Where the person who benefits from an award of damages or property restoration is ordered to contribute to expenses, the amount cannot exceed one-tenth of the damages awarded or the value of the property restored.
• Any such expense order against a person who has been awarded damages or property restoration cannot be enforced until that person has actually received the damages or had the property returned to them.