Jersey Finance has welcomed recent amendments to the Companies (Jersey) Law 1991, which are set to make it more flexible and reflective of international standards.
The amendments, which have been adopted by the States of Jersey, are designed to make it easier and more efficient for companies, investors and advisers to utilise Jersey as an IFC of choice.
Among the raft of changes, which are expected to come into force on 1 June 2026, are a number of notable enhancements, including:
- Changes focussed on share capital and the transfer of shares. This includes the abolition of the rule that a private company with more than 30 members will be classified as public, no longer having to state a maximum authorised share capital in the memorandum of a par-value company, the ability to remove the requirement to issue share certificates and more flexibility for a company being able to alter its share capital
- Greater flexibility for a company listed on certain approved overseas exchanges
- Corporate governance changes, including clarifying the requirements to file special resolutions with the Jersey Companies Registry and allowing digital and direct voting
- Enhancements around mergers and schemes, including the removal of the headcount test in members’ schemes of arrangements and the removal of the need for separate class consents
- Improvements to the process of winding up of companies
Commenting on these amendments, Joe Moynihan (pictured), CEO Jersey Finance, said: “For 35 years, Jersey’s Companies Law has provided the backbone to much of the corporate, funds and private wealth structuring done through Jersey, playing a pivotal role in establishing Jersey as a leading IFC. As we continue to see convergence across all these sectors, the demand for high quality corporate structuring continues to grow – something that is reflected in the fact that in 2025 there were more live companies on Jersey’s register than ever before.
“As such our focus remains on ensuring we remain at the cutting edge and these latest enhancements are essential in achieving that, providing a clear, modern, efficient and flexible environment for companies, investors and advisers. The input from our industry members was vital and we welcome these amendments, which bring further flexibility to our corporate framework, enhance the ease of doing business here and significantly bolster our competitiveness as an IFC.”
