The doctrine of piercing the corporate veil in South Africa: an analysis of the South African approach with lessons from the Canadian jurisprudence

dc.contributor.advisorBradstreet, Richard
dc.contributor.authorBailey, Michael
dc.date.accessioned2021-01-20T08:37:06Z
dc.date.available2021-01-20T08:37:06Z
dc.date.issued2020
dc.date.updated2020-12-23T09:16:54Z
dc.description.abstractThe first principle of a corporation is the right to have separate legal personality independent from the directors and shareholders. The entity becomes distinct from those who incorporate it and those who participate in the active management of the corporation's business. The corporation is owned by shareholders. The shareholders, as the natural persons with ownership rights in the artificial entity, retain obligations distinct from those of the corporation. The shareholders thus cannot be held liable for obligations that the corporations may be required to fulfil, be it primary or collateral, in its business dealings. There is a separation between the company, as a separate juristic person, and its shareholder. The distinction between the company and its shareholders and directors is described as the infamous ‘veil' to separate the corporation from the owners themselves. The benefit of separate legal personality is the second principle afforded to a corporation - limited liability of shareholders. As a general principle shareholders are not liable for the debts of the company. As a separate legal person the company exists in perpetuity despite changes in ownership structure. This makes commercial sense, because ‘the primary purpose for the doctrine of separate legal personality is to encourage entrepreneurship, by shifting the risks of business failure away from entrepreneurs to creditors and other risk bearers'. Managers of the business can take necessary commercial risks without the consequence of individual liability.
dc.identifier.apacitationBailey, M. (2020). <i>The doctrine of piercing the corporate veil in South Africa: an analysis of the South African approach with lessons from the Canadian jurisprudence</i>. (). ,Faculty of Law ,Department of Commercial Law. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/32583en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationBailey, Michael. <i>"The doctrine of piercing the corporate veil in South Africa: an analysis of the South African approach with lessons from the Canadian jurisprudence."</i> ., ,Faculty of Law ,Department of Commercial Law, 2020. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/32583en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationBailey, M. 2020. The doctrine of piercing the corporate veil in South Africa: an analysis of the South African approach with lessons from the Canadian jurisprudence. . ,Faculty of Law ,Department of Commercial Law. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/32583en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Master Thesis AU - Bailey, Michael AB - The first principle of a corporation is the right to have separate legal personality independent from the directors and shareholders. The entity becomes distinct from those who incorporate it and those who participate in the active management of the corporation's business. The corporation is owned by shareholders. The shareholders, as the natural persons with ownership rights in the artificial entity, retain obligations distinct from those of the corporation. The shareholders thus cannot be held liable for obligations that the corporations may be required to fulfil, be it primary or collateral, in its business dealings. There is a separation between the company, as a separate juristic person, and its shareholder. The distinction between the company and its shareholders and directors is described as the infamous ‘veil' to separate the corporation from the owners themselves. The benefit of separate legal personality is the second principle afforded to a corporation - limited liability of shareholders. As a general principle shareholders are not liable for the debts of the company. As a separate legal person the company exists in perpetuity despite changes in ownership structure. This makes commercial sense, because ‘the primary purpose for the doctrine of separate legal personality is to encourage entrepreneurship, by shifting the risks of business failure away from entrepreneurs to creditors and other risk bearers'. Managers of the business can take necessary commercial risks without the consequence of individual liability. DA - 2020_ DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town KW - Commerical Law LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PY - 2020 T1 - The doctrine of piercing the corporate veil in South Africa: an analysis of the South African approach with lessons from the Canadian jurisprudence TI - The doctrine of piercing the corporate veil in South Africa: an analysis of the South African approach with lessons from the Canadian jurisprudence UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/32583 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/32583
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationBailey M. The doctrine of piercing the corporate veil in South Africa: an analysis of the South African approach with lessons from the Canadian jurisprudence. []. ,Faculty of Law ,Department of Commercial Law, 2020 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/32583en_ZA
dc.language.rfc3066eng
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Commercial Law
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Law
dc.subjectCommerical Law
dc.titleThe doctrine of piercing the corporate veil in South Africa: an analysis of the South African approach with lessons from the Canadian jurisprudence
dc.typeMaster Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelMasters
dc.type.qualificationlevelLLM
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