Bank
(Recovery and Resolution) (Jersey) Law 2017
A LAW to provide for bank recovery
and resolution and for connected purposes.
Commencement [see
endnotes]
PART 1
PRELIMINARY
1 Interpretation[1]
In this Law unless the context otherwise requires –
“1991 Law” means the Banking
Business (Jersey) Law 1991;
“2009 Regulations” means the Banking
Business (Depositors Compensation) (Jersey) Regulations 2009;
“Additional Tier 1 or Tier 2 capital” shall have the same
meaning as in the Directive;
“Additional Tier 1 instruments” shall have the same meaning as
in the Directive;
“affected creditor” means a creditor whose claim relates to a
liability that is reduced or converted to shares by the exercise of the write
down or conversion power pursuant to the application of the bail-in tool;
“annual administration levy” means the levy referred to in Article 16(1);
“associate” shall be construed in accordance with Article 116(2);
“asset management vehicle” means a legal person that meets the
following requirements –
(a) it is wholly or partially
(directly or indirectly) owned by the Authority;
(b) it is controlled by the
Authority; and
(c) it has been created for
the purpose of receiving some or all of the assets, rights and liabilities of
one or more banks in resolution or bridge banks or both;
“asset separation tool” means the mechanism described in Article 63(1)
for effecting a transfer of assets, rights or liabilities of a bank in
resolution to an asset management vehicle;
“Authority” means the Jersey Resolution Authority established under Article 4;
“bail-in tool” means the mechanism described Article 65(1) for
recapitalizing a bank or exercise of the write down or conversion power;
“bank” means a person to whom this Law applies under Article 3(1);
“bank depositors compensation scheme” has the meaning given by Regulation 1
of the 2009 Regulations;
“bank in resolution” means a bank in respect of which resolution
action is being taken;
“bank liquidation committee” shall be construed in accordance with Article 101;
“bank liquidator” means a person appointed as such under Article 98;
“bank winding up” means the winding up of a bank under to a bank winding
up order under Part 7;
“bank winding up order” means an order for the winding up of a bank
for which an application may be made under Article 90;
“branch” means a place of business which forms part of a bank and
which carries out directly all or some of the transactions inherent in the
business of that bank but does not have a legal personality separate from the
bank;
“bridge bank” mean a company referred to in Article 58(1);
“bridge bank tool” means the mechanism for transferring one or more
shares of one or more banks that meet the resolution conditions or all or any
assets, rights or liabilities of one or more banks in resolution described in Article 58(2);
“business reorganization plan” means a business reorganization plan
drawn up and implemented in accordance with Article 70;
“cause” has the meaning assigned
to it by the customary law of Jersey;
“client assets” means assets which a bank has undertaken to hold for
a client (whether or not on trust, and whether or not the undertaking has been
complied with);
“Commission” means the Jersey Financial Services Commission
established under Article 2 of the Financial
Services Commission (Jersey) Law 1998;
“Common Equity Tier 1 capital” shall have the same meaning as
in the Directive;
“Common Equity Tier 1 capital ratio” shall have the same
meaning as in the Directive;
“Common Equity Tier 1 instruments” shall have the same meaning
as in the Directive;
“Common Equity Tier 1 items” shall have the same meaning as in
the Directive;
“connected with a bank” shall be construed in accordance with Article 116(1);
“conversion rate” means the factor that determines the number of
shares into which a liability of a specific class will be converted, by
reference either to a single instrument of the class or to a specified unit of
value of a debt claim;
“core business lines” means business lines and associated services
which represent material sources of revenue, profit or franchise value for a
bank or a bank’s group;
“Court” means the Royal Court;
“covered bond” means a bond issued by a bank where sums deriving
from the issue of those bonds must be invested in assets which, during the
whole period of validity of the bonds, are capable of covering claims attaching
to the bonds and which, in the event of failure of the bank, would be used on a
priority basis for the reimbursement of the principal and payment of the
accrued interest;
“covered deposit” means the part of an
eligible deposit, or the part of a deposit that would be an eligible deposit of
a bank incorporated in Jersey if it was not held in a bank account in a branch
outside Jersey, that does not exceed the maximum amount of compensation payable
to any depositor –
(a) under
the 2009 Regulations; or
(b) under
the laws of the bank’s home jurisdiction or relevant jurisdiction up to a
maximum of £85,000,
whichever is greater;
“crisis management measure” means –
(a) the exercise of a
stabilization power in relation to a bank by the Authority;
(b) the recognition of a
foreign resolution action by the Authority;
(c) the exercise of a
stabilization power in support of a foreign resolution action by the Authority;
“crisis prevention measure” means –
(a) the imposition by the
Authority or Commission of a requirement to take specified measures with
respect to a bank’s recovery plan;
(b) the imposition by the
Authority or Commission of a requirement to take measures to remove impediments
to recoverability of a bank;
(c) the imposition of an
early intervention measure described in Article 31(4);
(d) the appointment of a
temporary administrator under Article 32(1); or
(e) the exercise of the write
down or conversion power described in Article 74;
“critical functions” means activities, services or operations the
discontinuance of which is likely to lead to the disruption of services that
are essential to the real economy in Jersey or the disruption of financial
stability due to the size, market share, external and internal interconnectedness,
complexity, or cross-border activities of a bank or bank’s group, with
particular regard to the substitutability of those activities, services or
operations;
“debt instruments” means bonds and other forms of transferable debt,
instruments creating or acknowledging debt, and instruments giving rights to
acquire debt instruments;
“definitive valuation” shall be construed in accordance with Article 46;
“deposit” has the meaning given by Article 2 of the 1991 Law,
and “depositor” shall be construed accordingly;
“Depositors Compensation Fund” means the compensation fund
established in respect of the bank under Regulation 17 of the 2009 Regulations;
“derivative contracts” means –
(a) options, futures, swaps,
forward rate agreements and any other derivative contracts relating to
securities, currencies, interest rates or yields, or other derivatives
instruments, financial indices or financial measures which may be settled
physically or in cash;
(b) options, futures, swaps,
forward rate agreements and any other derivative contracts relating to
commodities that must be settled in cash or may be settled in cash at the
option of one of the parties (otherwise than by reason of a default or other
termination event);
(c) options, futures, swaps,
and any other derivative contract relating to commodities that can be
physically settled if they are traded on a regulated market or a multilateral
trading facility;
(d) options, futures, swaps,
forwards and any other derivative contracts relating to commodities that can be
physically settled, not otherwise mentioned in paragraph (c) and not being
for commercial purposes, and which have the characteristics of other derivative
financial instruments, having regard to whether, inter alia, they are cleared
and settled through recognized clearing houses or are subject to regular margin
calls;
(e) derivative instruments
for the transfer of credit risk;
(f) financial contracts for
differences; or
(g) options, futures, swaps,
forward rate agreements and any other derivative contracts relating to climatic
variables, freight rates, emission allowances or inflation rates or other
official economic statistics that must be settled in cash or may be settled in
cash at the option of one of the parties (otherwise than by reason of a default
or other termination event), as well as any other derivative contracts relating
to assets, rights, obligations, indices and measures not otherwise mentioned,
which have the characteristics of other derivative financial instruments,
having regard to whether, inter alia, they are traded on a regulated market or
a multilateral trading facility, are cleared and settled through recognized
clearing houses or are subject to regular margin calls;
“difference of treatment valuation” means a valuation carried out
under Article 77(1);
“Directive” means Directive 2014/59/EU
of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 May 2014
establishing a framework for the recovery and resolution of credit institutions
and investment firms and amending Council Directive 82/891/EEC, and Directives 2001/24/EC,
2002/47/EC, 2004/25/EC, 2005/56/EC, 2007/36/EC, 2011/35/EU, 2012/30/EU and 2013/36/EU,
and Regulations (EU) No 1093/2010 and (EU) No 648/2012, of the
European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 173, 12.6.2014, p. 190);
“early intervention measure”
shall be construed in accordance with Article 31;
“eligible deposit” has the
meaning given by Regulation 1 of the 2009 Regulations;
“eligible depositor” has
the meaning given by Regulation 1 of the 2009 Regulations;
“eligible liabilities” means liabilities and capital instruments
that do not qualify as Common Equity Tier 1 instruments, Additional
Tier 1 instruments or Tier 2 instruments of a bank that are not
excluded from the exercise of the write down or conversion power under Article 65(7);
“extraordinary public financial support” shall be construed in
accordance with Article 73;
“financial contracts” includes the following contracts and
agreements –
(a) securities contracts,
including –
(i) contracts for the purchase, sale or loan
of a security, a group or index of securities,
(ii) options on a security or
group or index of securities, and
(iii) repurchase or reverse
repurchase transactions on any such security, group or index;
(b) commodities contracts,
including –
(i) contracts for the purchase, sale or loan
of a commodity or group or index of commodities for future delivery,
(ii) options on a commodity
or group or index of commodities, and
(iii) repurchase or reverse
repurchase transactions on any such commodity, group or index;
(c) futures and forwards
contracts, including contracts (other than a commodities contract) for the
purchase, sale or transfer of –
(i) a commodity or property of any other
description,
(ii) a service, or
(iii) a right or interest,
for a specified price at a future date;
(d) swap agreements,
including –
(i) swaps and options relating to interest
rates, spot or other foreign exchange agreements, currency, an equity index or
equity, a debt index or debt, a commodity index or commodity, weather, emissions
or inflation,
(ii) total return, credit
spread or credit swaps, and
(iii) any agreements or
transactions that are similar to an agreement referred to in clause (i) or (ii)
which is the subject of recurrent dealing in the swaps or derivatives markets;
“foreign bank” means a bank, the head office of which is established
in a jurisdiction other than Jersey;
“foreign resolution action” means an action under the law of a
jurisdiction, other than Jersey, to manage the failure or likely failure of a
foreign bank where such action is comparable, in terms of objectives and
anticipated results, to a resolution action under this Law;
“foreign resolution instrument” means an instrument made by the
Authority under Article 89(1);
“Fund” means the Jersey Bank Resolution Fund established under Article 22;
“general principles of resolution” shall be construed in accordance
with Article 35;
“government financial assistance tool” means the mechanism described
in Article 73 for providing extraordinary public financial support to a
bank;
“group” means a parent and its subsidiaries;
“group entity” means a legal person that is part of a group;
“holding company” has the meaning given by Article 2(4) of the Companies
(Jersey) Law 1991;
“home jurisdiction”, in relation to a bank, means the jurisdiction
in which the bank is incorporated;
“home regulatory supervisor”, in relation to a bank, means the
supervisor of banks in the bank’s home jurisdiction;
“home resolution authority” in relation to a bank, means the
resolution authority in the bank’s home jurisdiction;
“inspector” means a person appointed to investigate the affairs of a
bank under Article 143;
“instruments of ownership” mean shares, instruments that are
convertible into or give the right to acquire shares, and instruments
representing interests in shares;
“international obligations notice” means a notice served by the
Authority under Article 86(1);
“intragroup financing agreement” means a contract by which one group
entity guarantees the obligations to a third party of another group entity
within the same group;
“Jersey bank” means a person referred to in Article 3(1)(a);
“Jersey Bank Depositors Compensation Board” means the Board
established under Regulation 8(1) of the 2009 Regulations;
“management”, in relation to a bank, includes the directors and
senior managers, and, if applicable, former directors or former senior managers
of a bank who are responsible both individually and collectively;
“mandatory reduction instrument” means an instrument issued by the
Authority in accordance with Article 74(1) to exercise the write down or
conversion power;
“Minister” means the Minister for External Relations;
“netting arrangement” means an arrangement under which a number of
claims or obligations can be converted into a single net claim, including
close-out netting arrangements under which, on the occurrence of an enforcement
event (however or wherever defined) the obligations of the parties are
accelerated so as to become immediately due or are terminated, and in either
case are converted into or replaced by a single net claim, and “netting right”
shall be construed according;
“own funds” shall have the same meaning as in the Directive;
“parent”, in relation to a bank, means the body that wholly owns and
manages the bank;
“pre-resolution valuation” shall be construed in accordance with Article 44;
“prescribed” means prescribed by an Order made by the Minister;
“property transfer instrument” means an instrument for the transfer
of assets, rights or liabilities;
“provisional valuation” shall be construed in accordance with Article 45;
“qualifying holding”, in relation to a bank, means a shareholding
that entitles the holder either alone or with any associate of the holder to
exercise, or control exercise of, more than 3% of the voting power in a general
meeting of the bank or the bank’s holding company;
“recipient” means the person or entity to which shares, debt
instruments, assets, rights or liabilities, or any combination of those items
are transferred from a bank in resolution;
“recognized foreign resolution action” means a foreign resolution
action which is, or part of which is, recognized by the Authority under Article 89(1);
“recovery plan” mean a recovery plan drawn up and maintained by a
Jersey bank in accordance with Article 23;
“Registrar” means the registrar appointed pursuant to Article 196
of the Companies
(Jersey) Law 1991;
“regulated market” means a multilateral system operated or managed
by a market operator, which brings together or facilitates the bringing
together of multiple third-party buying and selling interests in financial
instruments in the system and in accordance with its non-discretionary rules in
a way that results in a contract, in respect of the financial instruments admitted
to trading under its rules or systems, and which is authorized and functions
regularly and in accordance with the provisions of Title III of the
Directive 2004/39/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of
21 April 2004 on markets in financial instruments amending Council
Directives 85/611/EEC and 93/6/EEC and Directive 2000/12/EC of the
European Parliament and of the Council and repealing Council Directive
93/22/EEC (OJ L 145, 30.4.2004, p. 1);
“Regulations” means Regulations made under this Law;
“relevant capital instruments” means Additional Tier 1
instruments and Tier 2 instruments;
“relevant insolvency proceedings” means –
(a) proceedings for a bank
winding up order under Part 7;
(b) where the Authority
recognizes the resolution action of a home resolution authority or the relevant
resolution authority, proceedings for making a bank insolvent under the laws of
the bank’s home jurisdiction or relevant jurisdiction, as the case may be; or
(c) in the case of the
application of a stabilization tool by the Authority, proceedings for a bank
winding up order under Part 7 or proceedings for making a bank insolvent
under the laws of the bank’s home jurisdiction or relevant jurisdiction
whichever is chosen by the Authority;
“relevant jurisdiction”, in relation to a bank, means the
jurisdiction in which the bank’s relevant resolution authority is located;
“relevant regulatory supervisor” in relation to a bank, means the
supervisor of banks in the bank’s relevant jurisdiction;
“relevant resolution authority” in relation to a bank, means –
(a) a resolution authority
(other than the home resolution authority) in a jurisdiction in which the bank
has a branch, where that resolution authority can take a resolution action with
respect to the branch; and
(b) a resolution authority
(other than the home resolution authority) in a jurisdiction in which a holding
company of which the bank is a subsidiary is incorporated, where that
resolution authority can take a resolution action with respect to the holding
company;
“residual bank” means, in circumstances where part of the business
of a bank has been sold to a private sector purchaser using the sale of
business tool, or transferred to a bridge bank using the bridge bank tool, the
non-sold or non-transferred part of the bank;
“resolution” means the application under this Law of a resolution
tool to achieve one or more of the resolution objectives;
“resolution action” means a decision to place a bank (that satisfies
the resolution conditions) in resolution, the application of a resolution tool
or the exercise of a resolution power;
“resolution authority” means the Authority or any other authority in
a jurisdiction other than Jersey authorized by the law of that jurisdiction to
exercise the powers and to carry out functions similar to that of the
Authority;
“resolution conditions” means the conditions set out in Article 34(1);
“resolution instrument” means an instrument effecting the decision
of the Authority regarding the resolution of a bank;
“resolution objectives” means the resolution objectives specified in
Article 33;
“resolution plan” means a resolution plan drawn up for a Jersey bank
by the Authority under Article 24;
“resolution power” means a power specified in Article 29;
“resolution safeguard” means a safeguard set out under Articles 76
to 85 or any other prescribed resolution safeguard;
“resolution tool” means a stabilization tool or a bank winding up;
“resolvability assessment” means an assessment carried out under Article 25(1);
“sale of business tool” means the mechanism for effecting a sale of
all or part of the business of a bank that meets the resolution conditions to
one or more purchasers that are not bridge banks in accordance with Article 51(1);
“secured liability” means a liability where the right of the
creditor to payment or other form of performance is secured by a hypothec,
security interest, charge, pledge or lien or collateral arrangements, including
liabilities arising from repurchase transactions and other title transfer
collateral arrangements;
“security interest” means –
(a) a continuing security
interest to which, as referred to in Article 1A of the Security
Interests (Jersey) Law 1983, that Law applies; or
(b) a security interest
within the meaning of the Security
Interests (Jersey) Law 2012;
“senior manager”, in relation to a bank, means a natural person who
exercises executive functions within the bank and who is responsible and
accountable to the management for the day-to-day management of the bank and
“senior management shall be construed” accordingly;
“set-off arrangement” means an arrangement under which 2 or more
claims or obligations owed between the bank in resolution and a counterparty
can be set off against each other, and “set-off right” shall be construed
according;
“shareholder” means a holder of shares or holders of other
instruments of ownership;
“shares” includes shares and other instruments of ownership;
“share transfer instrument” means an instrument for the transfer of
shares;
“share transfer order” means an order for the transfer of shares;
“stabilization power” means a resolution power which relates
specifically to the application of a stabilisation tool;
“stabilization tool” means the sale of business tool, bridge bank
tool, asset separation tool, bail-in tool or government financial assistance
tool;
“States’ employee” has the meaning given by Article 2 of the Employment
of States of Jersey Employees (Jersey) Law 2005;
“States Police Force” has the meaning given by Article 1 of the
States
of Jersey Police Force Law 2012;
“subsidiary” shall be construed in accordance with Article 2 of
the Companies
(Jersey) Law 1991;
“temporary administrator” means a person appointed as such under Article 32(1);
“Tier 1 capital” shall have the same meaning as in Directive;
“Tier 2 capital” shall have the same meaning as in the
Directive;
“Tier 2 capital instruments” shall have the same meaning as in
the Directive;
“Tier 2 instruments” shall have the same meaning as in the
Directive;
“title transfer financial collateral arrangement” has the meaning
given by Article 2.1(97) of the Directive;
“transfer power” means the power to transfer shares, debt
instruments, assets, rights or liabilities, or any combination of those items,
from a bank in resolution to a recipient;
“valuation” means a pre-resolution valuation; provisional valuation,
definitive valuation or difference of treatment valuation;
“winding up” means, in relation to a bank, the realization of the
assets of the bank and the distribution of the assets to those entitled to
receive them;
“write down or conversion power” means the power to write down or
convert relevant capital instruments of a bank in accordance with Article 74.
2 Circumstances in which a bank is deemed to be failing or likely to
fail
For the purposes of this Law, a bank shall be deemed to be failing
or likely to fail in one or more of the following circumstances –
(a) the bank has failed to
continue to satisfy the Commission that it is a fit and proper person to be
registered to undertake deposit-taking business in accordance with Article 10(3)(a)
of the 1991 Law (including that the bank has incurred or is likely to
incur losses that will deplete all or a significant amount of its own funds);
(b) the value of the assets
of the bank determined in accordance with the pre-resolution valuation of the
bank is less than the value of its liabilities as so determined;
(c) the bank is unable to pay
its debts as they fall due;
(d) one or more of sub-paragraphs (a) to (c)
will, in the near future, apply to the bank; or
(e) extraordinary public
financial support is required in respect of the bank except when, in order to
remedy a serious disturbance in the economy of Jersey and preserve financial
stability, the extraordinary public financial support is provided temporarily
to a solvent bank and takes any of the following forms –
(i) a States guarantee –
(A) to back liquidity
facilities, or
(B) of newly issued liabilities,
in accordance with the Public Finances (Jersey) Law 2005, or
(ii) an injection of own
funds or purchase of capital instruments at prices and on terms that do not
confer an advantage upon the bank, where the circumstances referred to in sub-paragraphs (a),
(b) or (c) are not present and the write down or conversion power has not
been exercised at the time that the extraordinary public financial support is
granted.
3 Application
(1) Subject to paragraph (2), this Law applies
to –
(a) a person registered to
carry on deposit-taking business in or from within Jersey under the
1991 Law; or
(b) a company incorporated
under the Companies
(Jersey) Law 1991 that is a holding company or a subsidiary of a person specified in
paragraph (1)(a).
(2) Where
a stabilization power is exercised in respect of a bank, it does not cease to
be a bank for the purposes of this Law if it is no longer registered as
referred to in paragraph (1)(a) as a result of a resolution action.
PART 2
JERSEY RESOLUTION AUTHORITY
4 Establishment of the Authority
(1) There shall be established a body to be
known as the Jersey Resolution Authority.
(2) The Authority shall be a body corporate
with perpetual succession and a common seal and may –
(a) sue and be sued in its
corporate name;
(b) enter into contracts and
acquire, hold and dispose of any property; and
(c) so far as possible for a
body corporate, exercise the rights, powers and privileges and incur the
liabilities and obligations of a natural person of full age and capacity.
(3) The application of the common seal of the
Authority shall be authenticated by the signature of a person authorized by the
Authority to sign on its behalf and every document bearing the imprint of the common
seal of the Authority shall be deemed to be properly sealed unless the contrary
is proved.
(4) Except as this Law provides to the
contrary, the Authority shall be independent of the Minister and of the States
and neither the Minister nor the States shall be liable for any act or omission,
or debt or other obligation, of the Authority.
5 Appointment of members of the Authority
(1) The Authority shall comprise at least 3 members
appointed by the Minister, at least one of whom represents the Commission.[2]
(2) The Minister shall designate a member of
the Authority to be the Chairman.
(3) The functions, powers, rights and
obligations of the Authority shall not be affected by any vacancy in its
membership or a defect in the appointment of any member.
(4) Where no appointment is made by the
Minister under paragraph (1), the Minister may appoint a States’ employee,
public authority or other person to discharge the functions of the Authority.
(5) A person appointed under paragraph (4)
shall have all the functions, powers, rights and obligations of the Authority
under this Law and shall notwithstanding paragraphs (1), (2), (6) and (7)
be deemed to be the Authority for the purposes of this Law.
(6) A member of the Authority
other than the Chairman, may designate a person to be an alternate member to
attend, in place of the member, meetings of the Authority that the member is
for any reason unable to attend.
(7) When
attending meetings of the Authority, an alternate member designated under
paragraph (6) shall for all purposes be deemed to be a member of the
Authority.
6 Terms of appointment of members and procedures at
meetings of the Authority
(1) Schedule 1 shall have effect with
respect to the terms of appointment of members of the Authority and the procedures at meetings of the Authority.
(2) Subject to the provisions of this Law, the
Authority may regulate its own procedures.
7 Functions of the
Authority
The Authority shall
have the following functions –
(a) to make preparations to
facilitate the resolution of banks;
(b) to administer the
resolution of banks;
(c) to carry out such
functions in relation to bank resolution or recovery or such incidental or
ancillary matters as are required or authorized by this Law or the Regulations;
and
(d) to carry out such other functions
as are conferred on it by this Law or any other enactment.
8 Guiding principles
In exercising any of its functions, the Authority may take into
account any matter which it considers appropriate but shall, in particular,
have regard to –
(a) the reduction of the risk
to the public of financial loss due to the financial unsoundness of a person to
whom this Law applies;
(b) the protection and
enhancement of the reputation and integrity of Jersey in commercial and
financial matters; and
(c) the best economic
interests of Jersey.
9 General powers of the Authority
(1) The Authority has the power to do anything that
is calculated to facilitate, or that is incidental or conducive to, the exercise of any of its functions under this
Law including –
(a) the exercise of its
resolution powers under Article 29;
(b) the exercise of its
powers of investigation under Part 8; and
(c) the power to routinely
examine a bank, including the power –
(i) to require the bank to
supply information in a format and at times specified by the Authority, or
(ii) to give a direction to the bank to take
measures which, in the opinion of the Authority, are required to address
impediments to the effective exercise of the resolution powers.
(2) Without prejudice to the generality of paragraph (1),
the Authority may, in connection with the carrying out of its functions –
(a) subject to Part 9, seek and exchange
information relating to resolution carried on in or outside Jersey;
(b) consult and seek the advice of such persons
or bodies, whether inside or outside Jersey, as it considers appropriate;
(c) subject to Part 9, publish, in such
manner as it considers appropriate, such information relating to its functions
as it thinks fit; and
(d) provide advice, assistance
or services to any person with a view to securing the efficient and effective carrying
on of deposit-taking business in or from within Jersey.
10 Limitation of liability of Authority
(1) A person or body to whom this Article
applies shall not be liable in damages for anything done or omitted in the
discharge or purported discharge of any function under, or authorized by or
under, this Law or any other enactment unless it is shown that the act or
omission was in bad faith.
(2) This Article applies to –
(a) the Authority, any member or alternate
member of the Authority or any person who is, or is acting as, an officer, employee
or agent of the Authority or who is performing any duty or exercising any power
on behalf of the Authority or under the control of the Authority;
(b) the States or any Minister in respect of
any delegation of functions to the Authority; and
(c) a person appointed under Article 5(4)
in respect of the discharge of the functions of the Authority or any member or
any person who is, or is acting as, an officer, employee or agent of the person
appointed under Article 5(4) or who is performing any duty or exercising
any power on behalf of that person or under the control of that person.
(3) The limitation of liability under this
Article does not apply so as to prevent an award of damages made in respect of
an act on the ground that the act was unlawful as a result of Article 7(1)
of the Human
Rights (Jersey) Law 2000.
11 Appointment and remuneration of staff
(1) The Authority may appoint such officers, employees and agents as it considers necessary for carrying
out its functions.
(2) The Authority may –
(a) make appointments under paragraph (1) on
such terms as to remuneration, expenses, pensions and
other conditions of service as it thinks fit; and
(b) establish and maintain such schemes or make
such other arrangements as it thinks fit for the payment of pensions and other
benefits in respect of its officers and employees.
12 Delegation
to members and officers
(1) Where any functions or powers are conferred
upon or vested in the Authority by or under this Law or any other enactment,
the Authority may delegate such functions or powers wholly or partly to –
(a) the Chairman;
(b) one or more members; or
(c) an officer of
the Authority.
(2) Nothing in this Article shall authorize the
Authority to delegate –
(a) its power of delegation under
paragraph (1); or
(b) the review of any of its decisions.
(3) The delegation of any functions under this
Article –
(a) shall not prevent the exercise of those
functions by the Authority itself; and
(b) may be amended or revoked by the Authority.
13 Guidance and directions
(1) The Minister may, after consulting the Authority
and where the Minister considers that it is necessary in the public interest to
do so, give to the Authority guidance or give, in writing, general directions
in respect of the policies to be followed by the Authority in relation to the
resolution of a bank in Jersey and the manner in which any function of the Authority
is to be carried out.
(2) The Authority shall, in carrying out any of
its functions, have regard to any guidance and act in accordance with any
directions given to it by the Minister under this Article.
14 Publication of information and advice
(1) The Authority may publish information or
give advice or arrange so to do in such form and manner as it considers
appropriate with respect to –
(a) the operation of this Law,
or any other enactment in connection with resolution of banks, including, in
particular, the rights of depositors, the duties of a bank and the steps to be
taken for enforcing those rights or complying with those duties;
(b) any matters relating to
the functions of the Authority under this Law or any other enactment; or
(c) any other matters
relating to the resolution of a bank about which it appears to it to be desirable
to publish information or give advice concerning –
(i) the reduction of the risk to the public of
financial loss due to dishonesty, incompetence or
malpractice by, or the financial unsoundness of, persons carrying on deposit-taking
business in or from within Jersey,
(ii) the protection and enhancement of the
reputation and integrity of Jersey in commercial and financial matters, or
(iii) the best economic interests of Jersey.
(2) The Authority may offer for sale copies of
information published under this Article and may, if it thinks fit, make a
reasonable charge for advice given under this Article at any person’s request.
(3) Nothing in this Article shall be construed
as authorizing the disclosure of information in any case where, apart from the
provisions of this Article, its disclosure is prohibited under another law.
15 Funding of the Authority
The funds and
resources of the Authority are –
(a) the annual administration levy payable
under Article 16;
(b) any grant paid to the Authority under Article 17;
(c) any money borrowed by the Authority
accordance with Article 18; and
(d) any other money or property, and any income
derived from such money or property, as is lawfully vested in the Authority
through the exercise of its powers under this Law.
16 Annual administration levy
(1) A levy may be
raised by the Authority in any year to enable the Authority to do any of the
following –
(a) to meet the Authority’s expected
recurring administrative costs in that year;
(b) to provide or maintain a reserve,
of an amount appearing to the Authority to be prudent in that year, against
potential administrative costs in future years (whether by way of contingency,
allowance for depreciation, or otherwise); and
(c) to provide or maintain a
reserve, of an amount appearing to the Authority to be prudent in that year,
against the possibility, in the event of resolution action in respect of a bank
in that year or any subsequent year, of the Authority wishing to pay administrative
costs without needing to wait for receipt of other funding for those costs.
(2) The provisions of this Article apply to any
year irrespective of whether any resolution action in respect of any bank is
applied by the Authority.
(3) The Authority –
(a) shall review, in the
light of its budget referred to in Article 21(1), whether it will need to
raise an annual administration levy;
(b) may, in the light of the
review under paragraph (a), decide to raise an annual administration levy;
and
(c) must, if it decides to
raise an annual administration levy under paragraph (b), decide the amount
to be raised as such annual administration levy.
(4) A Jersey bank is liable to pay to the Authority
an annual administration levy in respect of a year –
(a) for
which the Authority decides to raise an annual administration levy under paragraph (3);
and
(b) if the Jersey
bank is registered during any part of that year, irrespective of whether or not it is registered during any other part of
that year.
(5) The Minister may, by notice to the Authority,
direct the Authority not to raise more than a specified amount of annual
administration levy for a specified year.
(6) An amount specified under paragraph (5)
applies to years subsequent to the specified year,
unless the Minister withdraws or amends the notice.
(7) The Authority –
(a) must decide and apply the
method of calculation of the annual administration levy to be paid by each
Jersey bank liable to pay an annual administration levy; and
(b) must, as soon as
practicable, send a written notice to each Jersey bank, requiring it to pay the
annual administration levy.
(8) The notice must specify –
(a) the annual administration
levy the Jersey bank is required to pay;
(b) the method of calculation
of the annual administration levy; and
(c) the date or dates on
which the annual administration levy or any instalment of the annual
administration levy becomes payable.
(9) If, at any time, the Authority is satisfied
that it has become necessary to do so, it may, by written notice sent to each
Jersey bank required to pay the annual administration levy, increase the amount
of the annual administration levy and require each Jersey bank to pay an
additional amount as an instalment of the increased annual administration levy.
(10) A Jersey bank to which a notice has been
sent under this Article must pay the annual administration levy or any
instalment of the annual administration levy within 5 working days of the
date specified in the notice as the date when the amount of the annual
administration levy or any instalment of the amount becomes payable.
(11) An annual administration levy that has
become payable is recoverable as a debt due to the Authority.
(12) If the Authority has accepted a payment as a
contribution from a Jersey bank towards the Authority’s recurring
administrative costs, other than as an annual administration levy, the
Authority shall –
(a) disregard the
contribution in deciding the amount under paragraph (3)(c), and give
credit for the contribution against the amount calculated under paragraph (7)
in respect of that Jersey bank; or
(b) reduce the levy raised
under paragraph (1) to reflect the payment before calculating the amount
due in respect of each Jersey bank under paragraph (7).
(13) For the purpose of paragraph (4) “registered”
means registered to carry on deposit-taking business in
or from within Jersey under the 1991 Law.
17 Grants to the Authority
(1) In
respect of each financial year, the States may make a grant to the Authority from
their annual income towards the expenses of the Authority in carrying out any
of its functions.
(2) The
amount of any grant under paragraph (1) shall be determined by the
Minister after consultation with the Authority, and in determining that amount
the Minister shall have regard to the financial position and projected
financial position of the Authority.
18 Borrowing by the Authority
(1) For the purpose of enabling the Authority
to carry out its functions, the Authority may borrow monies up to such amount
as may be prescribed.
(2) The Minister may, on such terms as the
Minister may determine, on behalf of the States –
(a) guarantee
the liabilities of the Authority; or
(b) lend
monies to the Authority,
up to the
maximum amount the Authority may borrow under paragraph (1).
19 Investment of surplus funds
The Authority may
invest any of its funds which are not immediately required by the Authority.
20 Exemption
from income tax and GST
(1) The income of the Authority shall not be
liable to income tax under the Income
Tax (Jersey) Law 1961.
(2) The
Authority shall not be liable under the Goods
and Services Tax (Jersey) Law 2007 to GST on goods and services supplied or goods
imported for the purposes of carrying out its functions under this Law.
(3) In this Article “GST” has the meaning given by Article 1 of the Goods and Services Tax
(Jersey) Law 2007.
21 Accounts, audit and
reports
(1) The Authority shall adopt a budget for each
financial year, and may vary its budget at any time during the financial year.
(2) The Authority shall –
(a) keep proper accounts and
proper records in relation to its accounts that permit its financial position
to be ascertained with reasonable accuracy at any time; and
(b) in accordance with
paragraph (4), prepare accounts in respect of each financial year and a
report on its operations during each financial year.
(3) The
Authority’s accounts must set out the income and
expenditure of the Fund separately from any other money received, held or expended by the Authority.
(4) The
accounts of the Authority must be prepared in accordance
with generally accepted accounting principles and show a true and fair view of
the profit or loss of the Authority for the financial year and of the state of
the Authority’s affairs at the end of the financial year.
(5) The Authority shall, within 3 months
after the end of the financial year, have its accounts audited by an auditor.
(6) The Authority shall, within 3 months
after its accounts have been audited, provide the Minister with –
(a) its audited accounts;
(b) the report of the
auditor; and
(c) the report prepared by
the Authority under paragraph (2)(b).
(7) The report
provided to the Minister under paragraph (6)(c) must contain –
(a) details of the
Authority’s activities during the financial year; and
(b) such other information as
the Minister may direct the Authority to provide.
(8) The Minister must lay a copy of the audited accounts and the reports
provided to him or her under paragraph (6) before the States not later
than 7 months after the end of each financial year.
(9) In this
Article “financial year” means the period beginning with the day on which this
Law comes into force and ending with the 31st day of December next following and
each subsequent period of 12 months ending with the 31st day of December
in each year.
(10) In this
Article “auditor” has the meaning given by Article 102(1)
of the Companies
(Jersey) Law 1991.
PART 3
JERSEY BANK RESOLUTION
FUND
22 Establishment and
management of Fund
(1) There is established a fund to be known as
the Jersey Bank Resolution Fund for the purpose of ensuring the effective
exercise by the Authority of the resolution powers and application by the
Authority of the resolution tools.
(2) The Fund shall be controlled, managed and administered
by the Authority.
(3) The Authority shall have the power –
(a) to recover from a bank
any funds paid or payable out of the Fund by the Authority in respect of –
(i) any action taken by the Authority in order
to consider whether to take a resolution action or recognize a foreign
resolution action in respect of the bank, or
(ii) the taking of a resolution
action or recognition of a foreign resolution action in respect of the bank;
(b) in accordance with
paragraph (8), to raise contributions from Jersey banks, other than the
bank referred to in paragraph (a) , where funds referred to in sub-paragraph (a)
are insufficient and shall –
(i) decide and apply the method of calculating
the amount of the contributions to be paid by each Jersey bank liable to pay
such contributions,
(ii) determine the date by
which the contributions must be paid, and
(iii) give written notice to
each Jersey bank requiring it to pay the contributions and specifying –
(A) the amount of the
contribution the Jersey bank is required to pay,
(B) the method of calculation
of the contribution, and
(C) the date or dates on
which the contribution becomes payable;
(c) to borrow from any
source, including the strategic reserve fund (within the meaning given by Article 1(1)
of the Public Finances (Jersey) Law 2005).
(4) All monies received by or on behalf of the
Authority under this Article, whether by way of contributions, loans or
otherwise, shall be paid into the Fund.
(5) Subject to paragraphs (6), (7) and
(8), the Authority may only use the Fund –
(a) in accordance with the
general principles of resolution;
(b) where
reasonable effort has been made by the Authority to raise the required funds
for a bank resolution from private funds and every source of such private funds
has been exhausted or the Authority is satisfied that there is no reasonable
prospect of the required funds being available within the timeframe in which
they will be required;
(c) where the use of the Fund
is necessary to achieve the resolution objectives; and
(d) to the extent necessary
to ensure the effective application of a stabilization tool for the following
purposes –
(i) to
guarantee the assets or liabilities of a bank in resolution, its subsidiaries,
a bridge bank or an asset management vehicle or, where
a sale of business tool is applied, a purchaser,
(ii) to
purchase assets of a bank in resolution,
(iii) to
make contributions to a bridge bank or an asset management vehicle or, where a
sale of business tool is applied, a purchaser,
(iv) to
pay contributions to a bridge bank or an asset management vehicle,
(v) to
pay compensation to shareholders or creditors in accordance with the general
principle of resolution under Article 35(g) and the resolution safeguard
in Article 78,
(vi) to
make a contribution to a bank in resolution in lieu of
the exercise of the write down or conversion power, when the bail-in tool is
applied and the Authority decides to exclude certain creditors from the scope
of the bail-in in accordance with Article 65(8), and
(vii) to
take any combination of the actions referred to in
clauses (i) to (vi).
(6) The
Fund shall not be used to directly absorb the losses of a bank in resolution or
to recapitalize such a bank unless otherwise provided in this Law.
(7) Any
amounts withdrawn from the Fund and used for the purposes set out in
paragraph (5) (including use which results in part of the losses of a bank
in resolution being passed on to the Fund) shall be recoverable from the bank
in resolution in accordance with the general principles of resolution and may
be recovered as contributions in accordance with paragraph (3)(b).
(8) The maximum aggregate amount that the Jersey
banks, other than the bank in resolution, must contribute to the Fund under
paragraph (3)(b) for the Authority to exercise the resolution powers and
apply the resolution tools is one hundred million pounds during any 5 year
period or such other amount or period as may be prescribed.
(9) Where any creditor has a right arising as a
result of the exercise by the Authority of a resolution power or application of
a resolution tool and the monies in the Fund have been exhausted to the extent
of the contributions received under paragraph (3)(a) and (b), the right
arising as a result of the exercise of the resolution power shall be
exercisable against the bank in resolution and the Authority shall not be
liable in respect of that right.
PART 4
RECOVERY AND RESOLUTION PLANNING
23 Recovery plan
(1) A Jersey bank shall, at such times as the
Commission may specify, draw up and submit to the Commission a recovery plan
setting out measures that would be taken by the Jersey bank for the restoration
of its financial position in the event of a significant deterioration of such
financial position.
(2) A recovery plan shall be drawn up and
maintained in accordance with such codes of practice in respect of recovery
planning as may be issued by the Commission in accordance with Article 19A
of the 1991 Law.
(3) The Commission shall submit a copy of a
recovery plan submitted to it by a Jersey bank under paragraph (1) to the
Authority and the Authority may –
(a) examine the recovery plan
with a view to identifying any actions in the recovery plan which may adversely
impact the resolvability of the Jersey bank; and
(b) make recommendations to
the Commission regarding the matters referred to in paragraph (a).
(4) A Jersey bank that fails to comply with a
requirement under paragraph (1) shall be guilty of an offence and liable
to a fine of level 3 on the standard scale.
24 Resolution plan
(1) The Authority shall, as far as practicable
and as it deems necessary, subject to Article 25 and in consultation with
the Commission and the home resolution authority and relevant resolution
authority in relation to a Jersey bank, draw up a resolution plan for the
Jersey bank which shall be proportionate to the systemic importance of the
Jersey bank or Jersey bank’s group.
(2) The Authority shall draw up a resolution
plan under paragraph (1) in pursuit of the resolution objectives and in accordance
with the general principles of resolution.
(3) Subject to Part 9, the Authority shall
provide relevant information regarding the resolution plan for a Jersey bank to
the resolution authorities in jurisdictions in which the Jersey bank operates branches
or subsidiaries and to the home regulatory supervisor and relevant regulatory supervisor
of the Jersey bank’s group.
(4) Where the Authority is required under this
Article to draw up a resolution plan which includes within its scope branches
or subsidiaries of a Jersey bank in jurisdictions other than Jersey, the
Authority shall, in drawing up the resolution plan, have regard to the
potential impact of the resolution measures in such other jurisdictions.
(5) The Authority shall, as far as practicable,
communicate to a home resolution authority or a relevant resolution authority in
relation to a Jersey bank any decision to deviate from that home resolution
authority’s, or relevant resolution authority’s, resolution plan for the Jersey
bank.
(6) The Authority may require a Jersey bank
(whether directly or through the Commission) to cooperate, assist and provide
the information specified in Part 1 of Schedule 2 for the purpose of
drawing up, implementing and updating a resolution plan for the Jersey bank.
(7) Details of the resolution plan may be
submitted by the Authority to the Jersey bank concerned.
(8) The Authority shall review, and where
appropriate update, a resolution plan for a Jersey bank at least annually and
after any material changes to the legal or organizational structure of the
Jersey bank or to its business or its financial position that could have a
material effect on the effectiveness of the resolution plan or which otherwise
necessitate a revision of the resolution plan.
(9) A resolution plan shall –
(a) outline the resolution
actions which the Authority plans to take if the Jersey bank concerned meets
the resolution conditions;
(b) set out the options for
applying a resolution tool and a resolution power to the Jersey bank concerned;
(c) take into consideration
relevant scenarios including that the event of a Jersey bank failure may be
unusual or may occur at a time of broader financial instability or system-wide
events;
(d) include procedures for
informing and consulting employee representatives throughout the resolution
process, where appropriate; and
(e) contain the information
specified in Part 2 of Schedule 2.
(10) The Minister may by Order make further
provision for resolution planning by the Authority.
(11) A Jersey bank that fails to comply with a
requirement under paragraph (6) shall be guilty of an offence and liable
to a fine of level 3 on the standard scale.
25 Resolvability
(1) In drawing up a resolution plan for a
Jersey bank, the Authority shall, subject to paragraph (3), carry out an
assessment to determine the extent to which the Jersey bank is resolvable and
for that purpose shall consider the matters set out in Part 3 of
Schedule 2.
(2) The Authority shall carry out a resolvability
assessment in pursuit of the resolution objectives and in accordance with the
general principles of resolution.
(3) A resolvability assessment shall be
simplified (or may not be required) where the Jersey bank concerned is subject
to a resolvability assessment in its home jurisdiction or relevant jurisdiction.
(4) Where a Jersey bank is a group entity, a
simplified resolvability assessment under paragraph (3) shall take into
account the proposed group-wide resolution plan, if any, and consider the resolvability
of the elements of the Jersey bank’s group which are relevant to the functions
of the Authority.
(5) A resolvability assessment shall identify
material impediments to resolvability which, once identified, shall be notified
in writing to the Jersey bank and to the relevant resolution authorities in
other jurisdictions in which the bank operates.
(6) A Jersey bank shall, within 4 months
of the date of receipt of a notification under paragraph (5), propose to
the Authority possible measures to address or remove the substantive impediments
identified in the notification and the Authority shall, in consultation with
the Commission, determine whether the measures referred to effectively address
or remove the substantive impediments.
(7) If the Authority assesses that the measures
proposed under paragraph (6) do not effectively reduce or remove the
impediments, the Authority shall directly or indirectly through the
Commission –
(a) subject to paragraph (9), require the Jersey bank to take
alternative measures, including any measure specified in
paragraph (8) that may achieve that
objective, and notify the Jersey bank in writing of those measures and propose
a plan to comply with them; and
(b) explain to the Jersey bank
how the measures proposed by the bank would not have adequately removed the impediments
to resolvability and how the alternative measures are proportionate in removing
them.
(8) As an alternative measure referred to in
paragraph (7), the Authority may –
(a) if applicable, require
the Jersey bank to review any intragroup
financing agreements or review the absence of an intragroup financing agreement
and may require the Jersey bank to enter into agreements which provide for
financial support to be given by the Jersey bank’s parent in its home jurisdiction
or relevant jurisdiction to its subsidiary in Jersey;
(b) require the Jersey bank
to limit its maximum
individual and aggregate exposures;
(c) impose specific or regular additional information requirements
relevant for resolution purposes;
(d) require the Jersey bank to divest specific assets;
(e) require the Jersey bank to limit or cease specific existing or
proposed activities;
(f) require the Jersey bank to restrict or prevent the development
of new or existing business lines or sale of new or existing products;
(g) require changes to legal or operational structures of the Jersey
bank or entities in its control so as to reduce complexity to ensure that
critical functions may be legally and operationally separated from other
functions through the application of a resolution tool; or
(h) require the Jersey bank to issue eligible liabilities or take
other steps to meet any minimum requirement for own funds and eligible
liabilities set under Article 26.
(9) The Authority’s power to require a Jersey bank
to take measures under paragraph (7) or (8) shall be limited to what is
necessary in the public interest to simplify the structure and operations of
the Jersey bank solely to improve its resolvability.
(10) A Jersey bank shall be deemed to be
resolvable if it is feasible and credible for the Authority to liquidate it
under a bank winding up order or to resolve it by applying a stabilization tool
to, and exercising resolution powers in respect of, the Jersey bank while
avoiding to the maximum extent possible any significant adverse effect on the
financial system, including in circumstances of broader financial instability
or system-wide events, with a view to ensuring the continuity of critical
functions carried out by the Jersey bank.
(11) A Jersey bank that fails to comply with
paragraph (6) or a requirement under paragraph (7) or (8) shall be
guilty of an offence and liable to a fine of level 3 on the standard
scale.
26 Minimum requirement for
own funds and eligible liabilities
(1) The Authority shall, in consultation with
the Commission, set for each Jersey bank a minimum requirement for own funds
and eligible liabilities.
(2) A Jersey bank shall, at all times meet the
minimum requirement for own funds and eligible liabilities set or adopted for
that Jersey bank by the Authority under paragraph (1).
(3) A Jersey bank that fails to comply with paragraph (2)
shall be guilty of an offence and liable to a fine.
27 Minimum authorized share
capital or other Common Equity Tier 1 instruments
(1) The Authority may require a Jersey bank to
maintain at all times a minimum amount of authorized share capital or other
Common Equity Tier 1 instruments so that, in the event of the Authority
exercising a write down or conversion power in respect of the bank, the Jersey bank
shall not be prevented from issuing sufficient new shares to ensure that the
conversion of liabilities into shares can be carried out effectively.
(2) An assessment by the Authority to determine
whether to impose a requirement under paragraph (1) shall be carried out in
conjunction with the development of a resolution plan under Article 24.
(3) A Jersey bank that fails to comply with a
requirement under paragraph (1) shall be guilty of an offence and liable
to a fine.
PART 5
RESOLUTION MATTERS
28 Requirement for notice
(1) The
management of a bank shall notify the Commission and the Authority if the
management consider that the bank is failing or likely to fail.
(2) The
Commission shall notify the Authority of any notifications received under paragraph (1)
and of any early intervention measure that the Commission requires a bank to
take to prevent its failure or likely failure.
(3) On
receiving a notification under paragraph (2), the Authority shall
determine whether the resolution conditions are met in respect of that bank and
shall record its decision together with reasons for the decision and the
actions that the Authority intends to take as a result of it.
(4) If
the Authority determines that the resolution conditions are met in relation to
a bank, the Authority shall give notice of that determination and the
Authority’s decision based on that determination, together with reasons for the
decision and the actions that the Authority intends to take as a result of it,
as soon as practicable, to the following –
(a) the
Commission;
(b) the
bank;
(c) the
Jersey Bank Depositors Compensation Board;
(d) the
Minister;
(e) the
Minister for Treasury and Resources;
(f) the
Viscount;
(g) the
home resolution authorities and relevant resolution authorities in relation to
the bank’s group;
(h) the
home regulatory supervisors and relevant regulatory supervisors in relation to
the bank’s group;
(i) the
resolution authorities of any branches of the bank, if it is a bank
incorporated in Jersey;
(j) the
regulatory supervisors of any branches of the bank, if it is a bank
incorporated in Jersey;
(k) the
central bank in the home jurisdiction and relevant jurisdiction of the bank’s
group; and
(l) the
depositors guarantee scheme in the home jurisdiction and relevant jurisdiction
of the bank’s group.
29 Resolution powers
(1) The
Authority shall have all the powers necessary to apply the resolution tools to a
bank which meets the resolution conditions and, in particular, shall have the
following resolution powers which may be exercised, individually or in any
combination, for the purpose of enabling the Authority to achieve the
resolution objectives –
(a) the power to require any person to provide
any information required for the Authority to decide upon and prepare a
resolution action, including updates and supplements of information provided in
the resolution plans and including requiring information to be provided through
on-site inspections;
(b) the power to take control over a bank in
resolution and exercise all the rights and powers conferred upon the
shareholders, other owners and management of the bank
in resolution, including control over the bank in resolution so as to –
(i) operate and conduct the activities and
services of the bank in resolution with all the powers of its shareholders and management,
and
(ii) manage and dispose of the assets and
property of the bank in resolution,
whether directly by the Authority or indirectly by
a person or persons appointed by the Authority;
(c) the power to take a resolution action
without taking control over the bank in resolution, if preferred, having regard
to the resolution objectives and the general principles of resolution and the
specific circumstances of the bank in resolution;
(d) the power to transfer to another entity,
with the consent of that entity shares issued by a bank in resolution to
another entity;
(e) the power to transfer to another entity,
with the consent of that entity, rights, assets or liabilities of a bank in resolution;
(f) the write down and conversion power under
Article 74;
(g) the power to alter the maturity of debt
instruments and other eligible liabilities issued by a bank in resolution or
amend the amount of interest payable under such debt instruments and other
eligible liabilities, or amend the date on which the interest becomes payable,
including by suspending payment for a temporary period, except for secured
liabilities referred to in Article 65(7);
(h) the power to close out and terminate
financial contracts or derivative contracts for the purposes of applying Article 69;
(i) the power to remove or replace the
management of a bank in resolution;
(j) the power to require the Commission to
assess the buyer of a qualifying holding in a timely manner by way of
derogation from any applicable time limits;
(k) subject to Article 82, the power to
provide for a transfer to take effect free from any liability or encumbrance
affecting the financial instruments, rights, assets or liabilities transferred
(and for these purposes any right of compensation in accordance with the resolution
safeguards shall not be considered to be a liability or encumbrance);
(l) the power to remove rights to acquire
further shares;
(m) the power to request that a relevant
authority discontinue or suspend the admission to trading on a regulated market
of financial instruments relating to a bank in resolution;
(n) the power to provide for the recipient of
shares, assets, rights or liabilities under the sale of business tool or bridge
bank tool to be treated as if it were the bank in resolution for the purposes
of any rights or obligations of, or actions taken by, the bank in resolution,
including, subject to the provisions relating to the application of the sale of
business tool and the bridge bank tool, any rights or obligations relating to
participation in market infrastructure;
(o) the power to require the bank in resolution
or the recipient of transferred shares, assets, rights or liabilities to
provide the other with information and assistance;
(p) the power to cancel or modify the terms of
a contract to which the bank in resolution is a party or substitute a recipient
as a party;
(q) the power to provide for continuity
arrangements necessary to ensure that the resolution action is effective and that,
where relevant, the business transferred may be operated by the recipient,
including, in particular –
(i) the continuity of contracts entered into by the bank in resolution so that the recipient
of shares, assets, rights or liabilities assumes the rights and liabilities of
the bank in resolution relating to any financial instrument, right, asset or
liability that has been transferred and is substituted for the bank in
resolution, expressly or implicitly in all relevant contractual documents, and
(ii) the substitution of the recipient for the
bank in resolution in any legal proceedings relating to any financial
instrument, right, asset or liability that has been transferred;
(r) the power to
require a bank in resolution or any of its group entities to provide any services or facilities (that is,
operational services and facilities, not financial support) that are necessary
to enable the recipient of transferred shares, assets, rights or liabilities to
operate the transferred business effectively, including where the provider of
such services or facilities has entered into insolvency proceedings;
(s) the power to suspend any payment or
delivery obligations pursuant to any contract to which a bank in resolution is
party from the time notice is given, under Article 28(4), of that
suspension (as an action the Authority intends to take) until midnight in
Jersey at the end of the business day following the giving of the notice, except
that –
(i) where a payment or delivery obligation
would have been due during the suspension period, the payment or delivery
obligation shall be due immediately upon expiry of the suspension period,
(ii) where a payment or delivery obligation has
been suspended the payment and delivery obligations of the counterparty under
the contract shall also be suspended for the same period, and
(iii) any suspension under this paragraph shall
not apply to –
(A) eligible deposits, or
(B) payment and delivery obligations owed to
payment and securities settlement systems, central counterparties
or central banks, and
when exercising this power, the Authority shall
have regard to the impact the exercise of the power might have on the orderly
functioning of financial markets;
(t) the power to restrict secured creditors of
a bank in resolution from enforcing security interests in relation to any
assets of that bank from the time notice is given, under Article 28(4), of
that restriction (as an action the Authority intends to take) until midnight in
Jersey at the end of the business day following that notice, except that –
(i) the
Authority shall not exercise this power in relation to any security interest of
payment and securities settlement systems, central counterparties or central
banks over assets pledged or provided by way of margin or collateral by the
bank in resolution,
(ii) where
Article 85 applies, the Authority shall ensure that any restrictions
imposed under this power are consistent for all group entities in the same
group in relation to which a resolution action is taken, and
(iii) when
exercising this power, the Authority shall have regard to the impact that the
exercise of that power might have on the orderly functioning of financial
markets.
(2) The services and facilities provided under paragraph (1)(r)
shall be on the following terms –
(a) where
the services and facilities were provided under an agreement to the bank in
resolution immediately before the resolution action was taken and for the
duration of that agreement, on the same terms; or
(b) where
there is no agreement for provision of the services and facilities or where the
agreement has expired, on reasonable terms.
(3) The
exercise of the resolution powers set out in this Article shall be without
prejudice to –
(a) the
right of an employee of the bank in resolution to terminate a contract of
employment; or
(b) subject
to paragraph (1)(s) and (t) and Article 75(1), any right of
a party to a contract to exercise rights under the contract, including the
right to terminate, where entitled to do so in accordance with the terms of the
contract by virtue of an act or omission by the bank in resolution prior to the
relevant transfer, or by the recipient after the relevant transfer.
(4) Except as otherwise provided in this Law,
the following requirements do not apply to the application of a resolution
tool –
(a) subject to any requirements set out in this
Law to seek the approval of another public authority in Jersey, the requirement
to obtain approval or consent from any person either public or private,
including the shareholders or creditors of the bank in resolution; and
(b) prior to the application of a resolution
tool, procedural requirements to notify any person including any requirement to
publish any notice or prospectus or to file or register any document with any
other authority.
(5) The Authority may exercise the resolution
powers irrespective of any restriction on, or requirement to obtain consent
for, the transfer of the financial instruments, rights, assets
or liabilities in question that might otherwise apply.
(6) The
Authority may exercise a resolution power under this Article without –
(a) the
approval of a third party in advance of a transfer;
(b) complying
with any applicable equitable or mandatory bid rule;
(c) the
consent of shareholders.
30 Priority of claims
(1) Except as provided by paragraph (2) and
(3), a bank’s hypothecary creditors shall be entitled to preference over any
unsecured debts of the bank in the order of the date of creation of their
respective judicial or conventional hypothecs upon the proceeds of sale of any
corporeal hereditament or incorporeal hereditament upon which their respective
judicial or conventional hypothecs are secured.
(2) If the bank liquidator sells a corporeal
hereditament that is subject to a judicial or conventional hypothec, the
proceeds of sale shall be applied first in payment of the costs, disbursements
and other charges necessarily incurred by the bank liquidator in connection
with the sale and the bank liquidator’s fees in connection with the sale.
(3) If the proceeds of sale of a corporeal
hereditament or incorporeal hereditament upon which a judicial or conventional
hypothec is secured is insufficient to meet in full the claim of a hypothecary
creditor, the balance shall rank for payment on the same footing as other debts
mentioned in paragraph (5)(h).
(4) Where any property of the bank being wound
up is subject to a continuing security interest within paragraph (a) of
the definition of “security interest” in Article 1 or a security interest
within paragraph (b) of that definition, the proceeds of sale of the
property shall be applied in the manner provided by, respectively,
Article 8(6) of the Security Interests (Jersey) Law 1983 or Part 7 of the Security Interests (Jersey) Law 2012.
(5) Notwithstanding Article 111, the
priority ranking for the payment of claims for unsecured debts of a bank under
this Law shall be in the following order –
(a) all the costs, charges and expenses
properly incurred or payable in a bank winding up, including the remuneration
of the bank liquidator;
(b) all costs, charges and expenses properly incurred or payable by
the Authority, Commission, Minister or Viscount as a result of the taking of
resolution action against a bank;
(c) where a right of –
(i) an eligible depositor in respect of an
eligible deposit held by a bank is vested in the Jersey Bank Depositors
Compensation Board,
(ii) a depositor in respect
of a deposit that –
(A) is held in a branch
outside Jersey of a bank incorporated in Jersey,
(B) would be an eligible
deposit if it was held in Jersey, and is vested in a bank depositors
compensation scheme outside Jersey,
the total amount owing to the Jersey Bank Depositors Compensation
Board or bank depositors compensation scheme , as the case may be, by virtue of
the vested right, but not exceeding £50,000 per depositor;
(d) the following which shall
rank equally between themselves –
(i) sums owing to an employee of a bank at the
date of commencement of the bank winding up order, in respect of arrears of –
(A) wages or salary for
services rendered to the debtor, and
(B) holiday pay and bonuses,
(ii) sums owing to a commercial or trade creditor arising
from the provision to a bank of goods and services including information
technology services, utilities and rental, servicing and upkeep of premises,
(iii) sums
owing by a bank by way of –
(A) tax and social security services
in Jersey, or
(B) parochial rates to any
parish in Jersey for a period not exceeding 2 years;
(e) that part of a covered
deposit that is not vested in the Jersey Bank Depositors Compensation Board or is not vested in a
depositors compensation scheme outside Jersey or is re-vested back to the
depositor by the Jersey Bank Depositors Compensation
Board or by a depositors
compensation scheme outside Jersey;
(f) that part of –
(i) an eligible deposit that exceeds the total
amount given priority under paragraph (c) and (e), or
(ii) a deposit –
(A) that is held in a bank
account in a branch of a bank incorporated in Jersey that would otherwise be an
eligible deposit were it held in a bank account in Jersey, and
(B) that exceeds the total
amount given priority under paragraph (c) and (e);
(g) any other debt which is
excluded from being written down or converted under Article 65(7) or (8);
and
(h) all other unsecured debts
proved in bank winding up which shall rank equally between themselves.
(6) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in
this Law, where a bank referred to in Article 3(1)(a) is a branch of a
foreign bank, the provisions of the law of the bank’s home jurisdiction with
respect to the ranking provided for the claims of ordinary unsecured creditors may,
where notice is given by the Authority of its consent, apply to the resolution
of that bank in lieu of this Article and any rule referred to in Article 111
from the date specified in the notice given under Article 28(4).
(7) In
this Article –
(a) “corporeal
hereditament” has the meaning assigned to “corps de bien-fonds” in Article 1
of the Loi (1880) sur la propriété
foncière;
(b) “incorporeal
hereditament” has the meaning assigned to “bien-fonds incorporeal” in Article 1
of the Loi (1996) sur l’hypothèque
des biens-fonds incorporels.
31 Early intervention
(1) Where the Authority or Commission is
satisfied that a Jersey bank infringes or is likely, in the near future, to
infringe –
(a) any minimum requirement for own funds and eligible liabilities set under Article 26
or a requirement for a minimum amount of authorized
share capital or other Common Equity Tier 1 instruments to be maintained under
Article 27; or
(b) the requirement that it is a fit
and proper person to be registered to undertake deposit-taking business in
accordance with Article 10(3)(a) of the 1991 Law,
the Authority or Commission may take any of the early intervention
measures set out in paragraph (4).
(2) An infringement referred to in
paragraph (1) may occur due, among other things, to a rapidly
deteriorating financial condition and may include one or more of the
following –
(a) a deteriorating
liquidity situation;
(b) an increasing level of
leverage;
(c) an increasing level of
nonperforming loans; or
(d) a concentration of
exposures.
(3) The Authority shall notify the Commission,
or the Commission shall notify the Authority, as the case may be, forthwith as
soon as it believes that a condition in paragraph (1)(a) or (b) exists.
(4) Early intervention measures include, where
applicable, the power of the Authority or Commission to –
(a) require the management of
the Jersey bank to –
(i) implement one or more of the arrangements
or measures set out in its recovery plan, or
(ii) update its recovery plan
(where the circumstances that led to the early intervention are different from
the assumptions in the recovery plan) and implement one or more of the
arrangements or measures set out in the updated recovery plan,
within a specified timeframe and in order to ensure that the
conditions for early intervention no longer apply;
(b) require the management of
the Jersey bank to examine the situation, identify measures to overcome any
problems identified and draw up an action programme to overcome those problems
and a timeframe for its implementation;
(c) require the management of
the Jersey bank to convene, or if the management fails to comply with that
requirement, convene directly a meeting of shareholders of the Jersey bank, and
in both cases set the agenda and require certain decisions to be considered for
adoption by the shareholders;
(d) require one or more
members of the management of the Jersey bank to be removed or replaced if those
persons are deemed by the Authority or Commission to be unfit to perform their
duties;
(e) require the management of
the Jersey bank to draw up a plan for negotiation on restructuring of debt with
some or all of its creditors according to the recovery plan, where applicable;
(f) require changes to the
Jersey bank’s strategy;
(g) require changes to the
legal or operational structures of the Jersey bank;
(h) require, including
through on-site inspections, if necessary, the provision to the Authority or Commission
of all information necessary to update the resolution plan and prepare for the
possible resolution of the Jersey bank and for a pre-resolution valuation to be
conducted in accordance with Article 44; or
(i) require the bank to
contact potential purchasers in order to prepare for the resolution of the Jersey
bank, subject to the procedural requirements relating to the sale of business
tool.
(5) For each of the early intervention measures
set out in paragraph (4), the Authority or Commission, as the case may be,
shall set out an appropriate deadline for completion to enable it to evaluate
the effectiveness of the measure.
32 Temporary administrator
(1) Subject to paragraph (2), where the
Authority or Commission deems the replacement of the management of a Jersey
bank, as an early intervention measure, to be insufficient to remedy the
situation, the Authority may, in consultation with the Commission, or the
Commission may, in consultation with the Authority, as the case may be, appoint
one or more persons as temporary administrators to the Jersey bank.
(2) Before
appointing a person as a temporary administrator, the appointing authority must
be satisfied that the person has the qualifications, ability and knowledge required
to carry out the functions of a temporary administrator and does not have a
conflict of interest in relation to Jersey bank.
(3) The
appointing authority may appoint the temporary administrator under
paragraph (1) either to –
(a) replace
the management of the Jersey bank temporarily; or
(b) work
temporarily with the management of the Jersey
bank.
(4) If the appointing authority appoints a
temporary administrator under paragraph (3), the appointing authority
shall, at the time of such an appointment, specify in the instrument of
appointment –
(a) the role of the temporary
administrator in accordance with paragraph (3)(a) or (b);
(b) subject to
paragraph (6), the functions and powers of the temporary administrator
which may include –
(i) ascertaining the financial position of the
Jersey bank,
(ii) some or all of the
powers of the management of the Jersey bank under the Jersey bank’s articles of
association, including the power to exercise some or all of the administrative
functions of the management of the Jersey bank, and
(iii) managing the business or
part of the business of the Jersey bank with a view to preserving or restoring
the financial position of the Jersey bank and taking measures to restore the
sound and prudent management of the business of the Jersey bank;
(c) any limits on the role,
functions and powers of the temporary administrator under
paragraph (a) or (b);
(d) any requirements for the
management of the Jersey bank to consult or to obtain the consent of the
temporary administrator prior to taking decisions or actions specified in the
instrument of appointment;
(e) subject to
paragraph (7), any requirement that certain acts of the temporary
administrator are to be subject to the prior consent of the appointing
authority.
(5) The appointing authority shall, in such
manner as the appointing authority considers appropriate, publish the
appointment of any temporary administrator except where the temporary
administrator does not have the power to represent the Jersey bank.
(6) The powers of a temporary administrator
specified in an instrument of appointment under paragraph (4) –
(a) shall be based on what is
proportionate in the circumstances;
(b) need not comply with the Companies (Jersey) Law 1991.
(7) The temporary administrator may convene a
general meeting of the shareholders of the Jersey bank and set the agenda for
such a meeting only with the prior consent of the appointing authority.
(8) The appointing authority may require that a
temporary administrator draw up reports on the financial position of the Jersey
bank and on the acts performed in the course of its appointment, at intervals
set by the appointing authority and at the end of the temporary administrator’s
appointment.
(9) The term of appointment of a temporary
administrator shall not exceed one year, subject to renewal of the appointment
where the conditions under paragraph (1) for appointing the temporary
administrator continue to be met and the appointing authority determines that
the conditions are appropriate to maintain a temporary administrator.
(10) Subject to
paragraphs (1) to (9), the appointment of a temporary
administrator shall not prejudice the rights of the shareholders of the Jersey
bank under the Companies (Jersey) Law 1991.
(11) A temporary administrator shall not be
liable in damages for anything done or omitted in the discharge or purported
discharge of his or her functions as temporary administrator under this Law
unless it is shown that the act or omission was in bad faith.
(12) Nothing in this Law shall cause a temporary
administrator to be treated as or deemed to be a shadow director or de facto director of a Jersey bank.
(13) The appointing authority shall, after
consultation with the Authority or Commission, as the case may be, have the
exclusive power to appoint, remove, or vary the terms of engagement of, a
temporary administrator, and may do so at any time.
(14) In this Article “appointing authority”
means –
(a) if the Authority appoints
a temporary administrator under paragraph (1), the Authority; or
(b) if the Commission
appoints a temporary administrator under paragraph (1), the Commission.
33 Resolution objectives
(1) The Authority shall, in exercising the
resolution powers and in applying, or considering the application of,
resolution tools in respect of a bank, have regard to the resolution objectives
specified in paragraph (2) and shall choose resolution tools and
resolution powers that best achieve the resolution objectives that are relevant
in the circumstances.
(2) The resolution objectives are as
follows –
(a) to ensure the continuity of banking services in Jersey and the
provision of critical functions in Jersey;
(b) to protect and enhance the stability of the financial system in
Jersey, including by preventing contagion (including contagion to market
infrastructures such as investment exchanges, clearing houses and central
counterparties) and maintaining market discipline;
(c) to protect and enhance public confidence in the stability of the
financial system in Jersey;
(d) to protect public funds, including by minimizing reliance on
extraordinary public financial support;
(e) to protect eligible depositors to the extent that they have covered
deposits; and
(f) to protect client assets.
(3) The resolution objectives are not listed in
any order of significance in paragraph (2) and are to be balanced as
appropriate in each case.
(4) A person exercising a function under this
Law shall have regard to the resolution objectives if they are relevant to that
function.
(5) In pursuing the resolution objectives, the
Authority shall seek to minimize the cost of resolution and avoid destruction
of value unless reasonable to achieve the resolution objectives.
34 Resolution conditions
(1) Resolution action in respect of a bank may
be taken only if the Authority is satisfied that the following conditions are
met –
(a) the bank is failing or is
likely to fail;
(b) having
regard to timing and other relevant circumstances, it is not reasonably
likely that any action (except the exercise of the resolution power) will be
taken by or in respect of the bank that will prevent the failure or likely
failure of the bank within a reasonable timeframe; and
(c) the taking of a
resolution action is in the public interest of Jersey.
(2) The taking of a resolution action shall be
in the public interest of Jersey for the purposes of paragraph (1)(c)
if –
(a) it is necessary for the
achievement of, and is proportionate to, one or more of the resolution
objectives; and
(b) winding up the bank other
than under relevant insolvency proceedings would not meet the resolution
objectives referred to in sub-paragraph (a) to the same extent.
(3) The prior adoption of an early intervention
measure with regard to a bank shall not be taken as indicative that the
resolution conditions are met.
(4) Despite paragraph (1), where a bank is
a group entity, the Authority may take a resolution action in respect of the bank
if the Authority is satisfied that –
(a) although the bank does
not in isolation meet the resolution conditions, the resolution conditions are met
in relation to another group entity in the bank’s group (whether or not the
other group entities in the group also meet the resolution conditions); and
(b) the failure or likely
failure of the group entity that meets the resolution conditions would have
adverse consequences for the bank which would cause the bank to meet the
resolution conditions in the future.
35 General principles of
resolution
The Authority shall, in applying a resolution tool to a bank or
exercising a resolution power, take appropriate measures to ensure that
resolution action is taken in accordance with the following general principles
of resolution –
(a) the shareholders of a
bank in resolution shall bear first losses;
(b) the creditors of a bank
in resolution shall bear losses after the shareholders in accordance with the
ordinary priority of their claims in relevant insolvency proceedings, except as
otherwise expressly provided for in this Law or the Regulations;
(c) the
management of the bank in resolution shall be replaced, except in those cases
where the retention of the management of the bank, in whole or in part, is
considered appropriate in the circumstances or necessary for the achievement of
the resolution objectives;
(d) the management of the
bank in resolution shall provide all necessary assistance for the achievement
of the resolution objectives;
(e) a person shall be made
liable, in accordance with the Law in force in Jersey, for their responsibility
for the failure of the bank;
(f) except where otherwise
provided under this Law or the Regulations, creditors of the same class shall be
treated in an equitable manner;
(g) no
creditor shall incur greater losses than would have been incurred had the bank
been wound up under relevant insolvency proceedings unless it is in the public
interest;
(h) covered deposits shall be
fully protected;
(i) resolution action shall be
taken in accordance with the resolution safeguards; and
(j) the
costs of the resolution of a bank shall be minimized.
36 Conditions for
application of a resolution tool
(1) When applying a resolution tool to a bank,
the Authority shall take into account the measures provided in the resolution
plan prepared in respect of the bank unless the Authority assesses that, in the
circumstances, the resolution objectives may be achieved more effectively by
taking actions that are not provided in the resolution plan.
(2) If the Authority decides to apply a
resolution tool to a bank and the application of the resolution tool would
result in loss being borne by the creditors or their claims being converted,
the Authority shall exercise the write down or conversion power to convert
capital instruments immediately before, or contemporaneously to, applying the
resolution tool.
(3) The Authority may apply the resolution
tools individually or in any combination, except that the asset separation tool
may only be applied in combination with another resolution tool.
(4) Where only the sale of business tool and
the bridge bank tool are used in combination to transfer only part of the
assets, rights or liabilities of the bank in resolution, the residual bank from
which those assets, rights or liabilities have been transferred shall be wound
up under Part 7.
(5) The winding up of a residual bank under
paragraph (4) shall be done having regard, if relevant, to the need for
that entity to provide services in order to enable the recipient of the
transferred assets, rights or liabilities to carry out the activities or
services acquired by virtue of that transfer, and any other reason that the
continuation of the residual bank is necessary to achieve the resolution
objectives or comply with the general principles of resolution.
37 Manner of recovery by the
Authority of expenses
The Authority shall recover from a bank in resolution any reasonable
expenses properly incurred that have been paid out of the Fund in connection
with the application of a resolution tool or exercise of a resolution power, in
one or more of the following ways –
(a) as a deduction from any
consideration paid by a recipient to the bank in resolution, or as the case may
be, to the owners of the shares;
(b) from the bank in
resolution as a preferred creditor; or
(c) from any proceeds
generated as a result of the termination of the operation of the bridge bank or
the asset management vehicle, as a preferred creditor.
38 Alternative financing
(1) In the case of an extraordinary situation
of a systemic crisis, the Authority may seek funding from alternative financing
sources through the application of a government financial assistance tool, if
the contribution to loss absorption and recapitalization equal to an amount not
less than 8% of the total liabilities including own funds of the bank in
resolution, measured by the pre-resolution valuation, has been made by
shareholders, holders of relevant capital instruments and other eligible
liabilities through write down, conversion or otherwise.
(2) The amount referred to in
paragraph (1) may be amended by an Order made by the Minister.
(3) In this Article “systemic crisis” means a
disruption in the financial system with the potential to have serious negative
consequences for Jersey’s internal market and the real economy of Jersey.
39 Assessment by the
Commission
(1) Where there is a requirement to notify the
Commission of a change in the level of ownership of a person by another person
by virtue of the application of a stabilization tool or the taking of other
resolution action that would result in the acquisition of a qualifying holding
or holding which crosses an applicable threshold, the Commission shall carry
out a relevant assessment related to that notification in a timely manner that
does not delay the application of the stabilization tool or prevent the taking
of the other resolution action.
(2) Where the Commission has not completed an
assessment required under paragraph (1) or given any relevant approval of
a transfer or conversion by the date that the stabilization is made effective
by the Authority, the following shall apply –
(a) such a transfer or conversion shall have immediate legal effect;
(b) during the assessment
period and during any divestment period, an acquirer’s voting rights attached
to such shares shall be suspended and vested solely in the Authority, which
shall have no obligation to exercise any such voting rights and which shall
have no liability for exercising or refraining from exercising any such voting
rights;
(c) during the assessment
period and during any divestment period, the penalties and other measures for failing
to comply with the requirements for acquisitions or disposals of qualifying or
significant shareholdings under Article 14 or 25 of the
1991 Law or under any other enactment shall not apply to such a transfer
or conversion;
(d) promptly upon completion
of the assessment by the Commission, the Commission shall notify the Authority
and the acquirer in writing of whether the Commission approves or, on the
grounds referred to in Article 10 of the 1991 Law or any other
enactment, opposes such a transfer of shares to the acquirer or the acquisition
of shares by the acquirer as a result of conversion;
(e) if the Commission approves
a transfer of shares to the acquirer (or the acquisition of shares by the
acquirer as a result of conversion), then the voting rights attached to such
shares shall be deemed to be fully vested in the acquirer immediately upon
receipt by the Authority and the acquirer of such approval notice from the Commission;
and
(f) if the Commission opposes
such a transfer of shares to the acquirer (or the acquisition of shares by the
acquirer as a result of conversion), then –
(i) the voting rights attached to such shares
as provided by sub-paragraph (b) shall remain in full force and effect,
(ii) the Authority may
require the acquirer to divest such shares within a divestment period
determined by the Authority having taken into account prevailing market
conditions, and
(iii) if the acquirer does not
complete such divestment within the divestment period determined by the
Authority, then the Commission, with the consent of the Authority, may impose
on the acquirer such measures for failing to comply with the requirements for
acquisitions or disposals of qualifying or significant shareholdings under Article 14
or 25 of the 1991 Law or any other enactment.
40 Authority to have regard
to Competition (Jersey)
Law 2005
The Authority shall, in exercising its powers and carrying out its
functions under this Law, have regard to, and shall comply with, the Competition
(Jersey) Law 2005 except where a derogation from the Competition
(Jersey) Law 2005 is required to achieve the resolution objectives (including where
the resolution objectives would not be met if additional delay were caused by
the requirement to have regard to the Competition
(Jersey) Law 2005).
41 Authority to consult with
employee representatives
The Authority shall, where appropriate in exercising the resolution
powers and applying a resolution tool in respect of a bank, inform and consult
with employee representatives of the bank’s employees.
42 Special management
(1) The Authority may appoint a special manager
to replace the management of a bank in resolution.
(2) A special manager appointed under paragraph (1)
must have the qualifications, ability and knowledge necessary to carry out his
or her functions under this Law.
(3) The term of appointment of a special
manager shall be for a period not exceeding one year, except that the Authority
may, in exceptional circumstances, renew the appointment for a further period
not exceeding one year if the Authority determines that the conditions for
appointment of a special manager continue to be met.
(4) The Authority shall, in such manner as it
considers appropriate, publish notice of the appointment of a special manager.
(5) A special manager shall have all the powers
of the shareholders and management of the bank in resolution, except
that –
(a) the exercise of that
power shall be under the control of the Authority; and
(b) the Authority may set
limits to the action of a special manager or require that certain acts of the
special manager be subject to the Authority’s prior consent.
(6) A special manager shall have a duty to take
all measures necessary to promote the resolution objectives and to implement
resolution actions in accordance with decisions of the Authority.
(7) The duty specified in paragraph (6)
may, where necessary, override any other duty placed upon a director under the Companies
(Jersey) Law 1991 and the bank’s constitutional documents in so far as they are
inconsistent.
(8) The measures referred to in paragraph (6) may include –
(a) an increase of the bank’s
capital;
(b) the reorganization of the
ownership structure of the bank;
(c) the takeover of the bank
by another bank that is financially and organizationally sound by applying a
resolution tool.
(9) In appointing a special manager to a bank
that is a group entity, the Authority shall consider whether it is appropriate
to appoint the same special manager that is appointed to another entity in the
bank’s group.
43 Authority not to be
treated as a director of a bank
Nothing in this Law
shall cause the Authority to be treated as or deemed to be a director (shadow
or de facto) of a bank.
44 Pre-resolution
valuation
(1) Prior to taking resolution action or
exercising a write down or conversion power in respect of a bank, the Authority
shall cause a pre-resolution valuation of the assets and liabilities of the
bank to be carried out in accordance with any standards set or adopted under
Article 48 or rely on a pre-resolution valuation carried out by the home
resolution authority or the relevant resolution authority in relation to the
bank.
(2) The Authority shall, in accordance with an
Order made under Article 49, appoint an independent valuer to carry out a
pre-resolution valuation.
(3) The objective of a pre-resolution valuation
shall be to assess the value of the assets and liabilities of a bank that meets
the resolution conditions.
(4) The purpose of a pre-resolution valuation
shall be –
(a) to inform the decision of whether the resolution conditions or
the conditions for the write down or conversion power are met;
(b) if the resolution conditions are met, to inform the decision on
which resolution tool should be applied;
(c) if the write down or
conversion power is to be applied, to inform the decision on the extent of the
cancellation or dilution of shares and the extent of the write down or
conversion;
(d) if the bail-in tool is to
be applied, to inform the decision on the extent of the write down or
conversion of eligible liabilities;
(e) if the bridge bank tool
or asset separation tool is to be applied, to inform the decision on the
assets, rights, liabilities or shares to be transferred and the decision on the
value of any consideration to be paid to the bank in resolution or, as the case
may be, to the owners of the shares;
(f) if the sale of business tool is to be applied, to inform the
decision on the assets, rights, liabilities or shares to be transferred and to
inform the Authority’s understanding of what constitutes commercial terms for
the purpose of the application of the tool; and
(g) in all cases, to ensure that any losses on the assets of the
bank are fully recognized at the moment a resolution tool is applied or the
write down or conversion power is exercised.
(5) In carrying out a pre-resolution valuation,
the person carrying out the pre-resolution valuation shall –
(a) make prudent assumptions, including as to the rates of defaults
and severity of losses;
(b) disregard any potential future provision of extraordinary public
financial support;
(c) take into account the fact that, if any
resolution tool is applied –
(i) the Authority and the Fund may recover any
reasonable expenses properly incurred from the bank in resolution in accordance
with the general principles of resolution, and
(ii) the Authority may charge
interest or fees in respect of any loans provided to the bank in resolution.
(6) A pre-resolution valuation shall be
supplemented by the following information as appearing in the accounting books
and records of the bank –
(a) a balance sheet of the
bank as at the date of the valuation;
(b) a report on the financial
position of the bank;
(c) an analysis and estimate
of the accounting value of the assets and liabilities of the bank;
(d) an analysis and estimate
of the market value of the assets and liabilities of the bank where required to
inform a decision relating to the bridge bank tool, asset separation tool or sale
of business tool;
(e) a list of outstanding
liabilities of the bank (including any off balance sheet liabilities), with the
creditors subdivided into classes according to the priority their claims would
have under relevant insolvency proceedings;
(f) an estimate of the
amount each class of creditors and shareholders might be expected to receive if
the bank were to be wound up under relevant insolvency proceedings; and
(g) an estimate of the amount
that would be payable under the 2009 Regulations if the bank were to be
wound up under relevant insolvency proceedings.
45 Provisional valuation
(1) Where the Authority considers that the
urgency of the case makes it appropriate for resolution action to be taken or
for a write down or conversion power to be exercised in respect of a bank
before a pre-resolution valuation can be carried out by an independent valuer
appointed under Article 44(2), the Authority may cause a provisional
valuation of the assets and liabilities of the bank to be carried out in
accordance with any standards set or adopted under Article 48.
(2) Where a provisional valuation is carried
out –
(a) Article 44(3) (4),
(5) and (6) shall apply to the provisional valuation as if it were a
pre-resolution valuation and so far as it is practicable in the circumstances;
(b) the provisional valuation
must make provision in respect of reasonably foreseeable losses by the bank;
and
(c) the provisional valuation
shall be a valid basis on which a decision to exercise a resolution power may
be taken.
46 Definitive valuation
(1) Where the Authority has caused a
provisional valuation to be carried out under Article 45, the Authority
shall, in accordance with an Order made under Article 49, appoint an
independent valuer to carry out a definitive valuation of the assets and
liabilities of the bank in accordance with any standards adopted under
Article 48 as soon as practicable.
(2) The purposes of the definitive valuation are –
(a) to ensure the full extent of any
losses on the assets of the bank is recognized in the accounting records of the bank; and
(b) to inform a decision by the Authority as to whether –
(i) additional consideration should be paid by
a bridge bank or asset management vehicle for any property, rights, liabilities
or shares transferred under a sale of business tool, bridge bank tool or asset
separation tool, or
(ii) to increase or reinstate
any liability which has been reduced or cancelled by a resolution instrument.
(3) Where a definitive valuation is carried
out, Article 44(3), (4), (5) and (6) shall apply to the definitive
valuation as if it were a pre-resolution valuation and so far as it is
practicable in the circumstances.
(4) A definitive valuation may be carried
out –
(a) separately from the
difference of treatment valuation;
(b) simultaneously with a
difference of treatment valuation; or
(c) by the same independent
valuer who carries out the difference of treatment valuation,
but the definitive valuation and the difference of treatment
valuation shall be distinct from each other.
(5) A person who participates in any manner in
a provisional valuation of a bank shall not, regardless of the capacity in
which the person participated, by reason only of that participation be deemed
to be ineligible for appointment as an independent valuer for the purpose of
carrying out a definitive valuation of that bank.
47 Consequences of a higher
valuation being produced by definitive valuation
(1) Where a definitive valuation produces a higher
valuation of the net asset value of a bank in resolution than the provisional
valuation, the Authority may –
(a) instruct a purchaser,
bridge bank or asset management vehicle to pay additional consideration for any
assets, rights, liabilities or shares transferred under the sale of business
tool, bridge bank tool or asset separation tool; or
(b) modify any liability of
the bank in resolution which has been reduced, deferred or cancelled pursuant
to the write down or conversion power or a resolution instrument so as to
increase or reinstate that liability.
(2) A power under paragraph (1) –
(a) shall not be exercised so
as to increase the value of the liability of the bank in resolution beyond the
value it would have had if the resolution instrument which reduced, cancelled
or deferred it had not been made; and
(b) shall be exercised by the
issue by the Authority of a mandatory reduction instrument in accordance with
Article 74(1) or a supplemental resolution instrument (whether or not that
instrument contains any other provisions authorized by this paragraph or paragraph (1)).
48 Standards
(1) The Authority may set or adopt standards
for the purpose of a valuation.
(2) A valuation shall be carried out in
accordance with the standards set or adopted by the Authority under
paragraph (1).
49 Eligibility criteria for independent
valuer
The Minister may by Order specify the eligibility criteria for
appointment of a person as an independent valuer for the purposes of Article 44,
46 or 77.
50 Ancillary powers of an
independent valuer
(1) Subject to the resolution safeguards, an
independent valuer may do anything necessary or desirable for the purposes of,
or in connection with, the performance of the independent valuer’s functions
under this Law.
(2) The Authority may confer on an independent
valuer such ancillary powers as the Authority thinks necessary for the purposes
of, or in connection with, the exercise of the independent valuer’s functions,
powers or duties under this Law.
PART 6
STABILIZATION TOOLS, WRITE
DOWN AND CONVERSION POWER AND RESOLUTION SAFEGUARDS
Chapter 1 – Sale of business tool
51 Application of sale of
business tool
(1) The Authority may apply the sale of
business tool to a bank that meets the resolution conditions by effecting a
sale of all or part of the business of the bank in resolution to one or more
purchasers that are not bridge banks by making –
(a) one or more share
transfer instruments effecting the transfer of all or some of the shares of the
bank;
(b) one or more property
transfer instruments effecting the transfer of all or any assets, rights or
liabilities of the bank.
(2) Subject to the resolution safeguards, the Authority
may apply the sale of business tool to a bank without –
(a) the consent of the
shareholders of the bank or any third party other than the purchaser; and
(b) complying with any
procedural requirements under the Companies
(Jersey) Law 1991, Security
Interests (Jersey) Law 2012 or Security
Interests (Jersey) Law 1983 or the constitutional
documents of the bank other than those procedural requirements specified in
this Law, the Regulations or an Order made under this Law.
(3) The Authority shall ensure that a transfer
made by applying the sale of business tool under this Article is made on
commercial terms having regard to the circumstances.
(4) The Authority shall take reasonable
measures to obtain, on the basis of a pre-resolution valuation, commercial
terms for the transfer made under the sale of business tool under this Article,
including making arrangements for the marketing of the bank in resolution or
part of the bank’s business in an open, transparent, non-discriminatory
process, while aiming as far as possible to maximize the sale price.
(5) Subject to Article 37, the net
proceeds of consideration paid by the purchaser on the transfer made under the
sale of business tool under this Article shall be applied for the benefit
of –
(a) the owners of the shares,
where the sale of business tool has been effected by transferring shares issued
by the bank in resolution from the holders of those shares or instruments to
the purchaser; or
(b) the bank in resolution,
where the sale of business tool has been effected by transferring some or all
of the assets or liabilities of the bank in resolution to the purchaser,
including where the bank in resolution is then subject to the bank winding up
under Part 7.
(6) When applying the sale of business tool to
a bank, the Authority may exercise the transfer power more than once to make
supplemental transfers of shares issued by the bank or, as the case may be,
assets, rights or liabilities of the bank.
(7) A transfer made under the sale of business
tool shall be subject to the resolution safeguards.
(8) The Authority shall immediately notify the
Commission or other competent authority of its non-compliance with any
procedural requirements under paragraph (2)(b).
52 Power to transfer assets,
rights, liabilities or shares transferred to the purchaser back to bank in
resolution or to original owners
Subject to the resolution safeguards, following the application of
the sale of business tool, the Authority may, with the consent of the purchaser,
transfer –
(a) the assets, rights, or
liabilities transferred to the purchaser back to the bank in resolution; or
(b) the shares transferred to
the purchaser back to their original owners,
and the bank in resolution or the original owners shall be obliged
to take back any such assets, rights or liabilities or shares.
53 Bank in resolution
entitled to exercise rights after transfer under sale of business tool
Where a transfer under the sale of business tool is effected, the
bank in resolution shall be entitled to exercise any rights following the
transfer that it was entitled to exercise prior to the transfer.
54 Rights of purchaser under the sale of business tool
(1) A purchaser shall acquire the
deposit-taking business and any other relevant business of a bank in resolution
(as a continuation of the deposit-taking business being conducted prior to the
transfer to the purchaser) under the sale of business tool and may continue to
operate the deposit-taking business of the bank in resolution for a period not
exceeding 6 months within which period an application for registration
under the 1991 Law, registration under the Financial
Services (Jersey) Law 1998 or authorization that
is required under any other enactment shall be made.
(2) Where a transfer under the sale of business
tool has been effected the purchaser shall, following the transfer, be entitled
to continue to exercise any rights that the bank in resolution was entitled to
exercise prior to the transfer, including membership rights, access to payment,
clearing and settlement systems, securities exchanges and the bank depositors
compensation scheme, if the purchaser meets the criteria for such membership or
participation in such systems.
(3) Where a purchaser does not meet the
membership or participation criteria for a relevant payment, clearing or
settlement system, securities exchange or the bank depositors compensation
scheme, the rights transferred under the sale of business tool shall be
exercised for such period as may be specified by the Authority, not exceeding
24 months, subject to renewal on application by the purchaser to the
Authority.
(4) Without prejudice to the resolution
safeguards, shareholders and creditors of a bank in resolution and other third
parties whose assets, rights or liabilities are not transferred under the sale
of business tool shall not have any rights over or in relation to the assets,
rights or liabilities transferred.
(5) In paragraph (1) “authorization”
includes a licence, registration and approval.
55 Marketing of assets,
rights, liabilities or shares
(1) Subject to the exceptions in
paragraph (4) and Article 56, when applying the sale of business tool
to a bank –
(a) the Authority shall market
or make arrangements for the marketing of the assets, rights, liabilities or
shares of the bank that the Authority intends to transfer; and
(b) pools of assets, rights,
liabilities or shares of the bank may be marketed separately under sub-paragraph (a).
(2) Marketing under paragraph (1) shall be
carried out in accordance with the following principles –
(a) it shall be as transparent as possible and shall not materially
misrepresent the assets, rights, liabilities or shares of the bank in
resolution, having regard to the circumstances and in particular the need to
maintain financial stability;
(b) it shall not unduly favour or discriminate between potential
purchasers;
(c) it shall be free from conflicts of interest;
(d) it shall not confer any unfair advantage on a potential
purchaser;
(e) it shall take account of the need to effect a rapid resolution
action; and
(f) it shall aim at maximising, as far as possible, the sale price
for the shares, assets, rights or liabilities involved.
(3) Subject to paragraph (2)(b), the
principles in paragraph (2) shall not prevent the Authority from
soliciting particular potential purchasers.
(4) The Authority may apply the sale of
business tool to a bank without complying with the requirement to market the assets,
rights, liabilities or shares of the bank under paragraph (1)(a) if the
Authority determines that compliance with the requirement to market the bank
would be likely to undermine one or more of the resolution objectives and, in
particular, the Authority considers that –
(a) there is a material
threat to the financial stability of Jersey arising from or aggravated by the
failure or likely failure of the bank in resolution; and
(b) compliance with requirement
would be likely to undermine the effectiveness of the sale of business tool in
addressing the threat referred to in sub-paragraph (a) or achieving the
resolution objectives.
56 Delay of disclosure of
information to the public on application of the sale of business tool
On application of the sale of business tool to a bank –
(a) disclosure of information
to the public which would as a matter of law be required in relation to the
sale of the bank may be delayed for the time necessary to plan and structure
the resolution of the bank; and
(b) disclosure to the public
of the marketing of a bank which would as a matter of law be required may be
delayed where all of the following conditions are met –
(i) immediate disclosure is likely to
prejudice the legitimate interests of the bank in resolution,
(ii) delay of disclosure is
not likely to mislead the public,
(iii) delay of disclosure is in
the public interest, and
(iv) the disclosure of the
marketing information entails a risk of undermining the financial stability of
the bank in resolution and the financial system in Jersey.
57 Residual bank to be wound
up
If the sale of business tool has been used to transfer systemically
important services or viable business of a bank to a private sector purchaser,
the residual bank may be wound up under relevant insolvency proceedings within
an appropriate timeframe, having regard to any need for the residual bank to
provide services or support to enable the purchaser to carry on the activities
or services acquired by the virtue of that transfer.
Chapter 2 – Bridge bank tool
58 Application of bridge
bank tool
(1) For the purposes of this Article, the
Authority shall cause to be registered a company (a “bridge bank”) that –
(a) is wholly or partially
owned by the Authority;
(b) is controlled by the
Authority; and
(c) is created for the
purpose of receiving a transfer of the shares or business of the bank in
resolution by virtue of the utilization of such transfer power under the bridge
bank tool with a view to maintaining access to critical functions and in due
course selling the bank or its business.
(2) The Authority may apply the bridge bank
tool to a bank that meets the resolution conditions by making –
(a) one or more share
transfer instruments effecting the transfer of all or some of the shares of the
bank to a bridge bank; or
(b) one or more property
transfer instruments effecting the transfer of all or any assets, rights or
liabilities of the bank to a bridge bank.
(3) Subject to the resolution safeguards, the
Authority may apply the bridge bank tool to a bank that meets the resolution
conditions without –
(a) the consent of the
shareholders of the bank in resolution or any third party other than the bridge
bank; and
(b) complying with any procedural
requirements under the Companies
(Jersey) Law 1991, Security
Interests (Jersey) Law 2012 or Security
Interests (Jersey) Law 1983 or the constitutional
documents of the bank other than those procedural requirements specified in
this Law or the Regulations or an Order made under this Law.
(4) The application of the bail-in tool for the
purpose of converting to equity or reducing the principal amount of claims or
debt instruments that are transferred to a bridge bank with a view to providing
capital for that bridge bank shall not interfere with the ability of the
Authority to control the bridge bank.
(5) When applying the bridge bank tool, the
Authority shall ensure that the total value of liabilities transferred to the
bridge bank does not exceed the total value of the rights and assets
transferred from the bank in resolution or provided by other sources.
(6) Subject to Article 37, any
consideration paid by the bridge bank shall be applied for the benefit
of –
(a) the owners of the shares,
where the transfer of the bridge bank has been effected by transferring shares
issued by the bank in resolution from the holders of those shares to the bridge
bank; or
(b) the bank in resolution,
where the transfer to the bridge bank has been effected by transferring some or
all of the assets or liabilities of the bank in resolution to the bridge bank.
(7) When applying the bridge bank tool to a
bank in resolution, the Authority may exercise its power to transfer under
Article 59(2) more than once to make supplemental transfers of shares
issued by the bank in resolution, or as the case may be, assets, rights or
liabilities of the bank in resolution.
59 Power to transfer assets,
rights, liabilities or shares transferred to the bridge bank back to bank or to
original owners
(1) Subject to paragraph (2), following
the application of the bridge bank tool, the Authority may –
(a) transfer assets, rights
or liabilities transferred to the bridge bank back to the bank in resolution,
or shares transferred to the bridge bank back to their original owners, and the
bank in resolution or the original owners shall take back any such assets,
rights or liabilities or shares; or
(b) transfer assets, rights, liabilities or shares from the bridge
bank to a third party.
(2) Subject to complying with any other
conditions in the instrument of transfer, the Authority may transfer assets,
rights, liabilities or shares back from the bridge bank under
paragraph (1) in any of the following
circumstances –
(a) where the possibility that the specific shares, assets, rights
or liabilities will be transferred back is stated expressly in the instrument
of transfer by which the transfer was made to the bridge bank; or
(b) where the specific shares, assets, rights or liabilities do not
in fact fall within the classes of, or meet the conditions for transfer of,
shares, assets, rights or liabilities specified in the instrument of transfer by
which the transfer to the bridge bank was made.
(3) A transfer following
the application of the bridge bank tool between –
(a) the bank in resolution or the original owners of shares; and
(b) the bridge bank,
shall be without prejudice to the resolution safeguards.
60 Bridge bank to acquire
the deposit-taking business
A bridge bank shall acquire the deposit-taking business of a bank in
resolution as a continuation of the deposit-taking business being conducted
prior to the transfer to the bridge bank under the bridge bank tool.
61 Rights of bridge bank
(1) Where a transfer under the bridge bank tool
is effected by way of a transfer of shares in the bank in resolution, the bank
in resolution shall, following the transfer, be entitled to exercise any rights
that it was entitled to exercise prior to the transfer.
(2) Where a transfer under the bridge bank tool
has been effected by way of a transfer of assets rights and liabilities, the
bridge bank shall, following the transfer, be entitled to exercise any rights
that the bank in resolution was entitled to exercise prior to the transfer,
including membership rights, access to payment, clearing and settlement
systems, securities exchanges and the bank depositors compensation scheme, if
the bridge bank meets the criteria for such membership or participation in such
systems.
(3) Where a bridge bank does not meet the
membership or participation criteria for a relevant payment, clearing or
settlement system, securities exchange or the bank depositors compensation
scheme, the rights transferred under the bridge bank tool shall be exercised
for such period as may be specified by the Authority, not exceeding
24 months, subject to renewal on application by the bridge bank to the
Authority.
(4) Without prejudice to the resolution
safeguards, shareholders and creditors of the bank in resolution and other
third parties whose assets, rights or liabilities are not transferred to the
bridge bank under the bridge bank tool shall not have any rights over or in
relation to the assets, rights or liabilities transferred to the bridge bank or
its management.
(5) A
bridge bank or its management shall not be liable in damages to its shareholders
or creditors for anything done or omitted in the discharge or purported
discharge of any functions under this Law unless it is shown that the act or
omission was in bad faith.
62 Operation of bridge bank
(1) The Authority shall ensure that the
operation of a bridge bank complies with the following requirements –
(a) the contents of a bridge bank’s constitutional documents are approved
by the Authority;
(b) subject to the bridge bank’s ownership structure, the Authority
appoints or approves the bridge bank’s management body;
(c) the Authority approves the remuneration of the members of the bridge
bank’s management body and determines their appropriate responsibilities;
(d) the Authority approves the strategy and risk profile of the
bridge bank; and
(e) the bridge bank
is –
(i) registered
under the 1991 Law to undertake deposit-taking business,
(ii) registered
under the Financial Services (Jersey)
Law 1998, or
(iii) authorized
under any other relevant enactment to undertake such other relevant financial
services business as is necessary,
in order to carry out the activities or services that it acquires
by virtue of a transfer made under the bridge bank tool in accordance with the
resolution powers and the bridge bank
complies with the requirements under those enactments.
(2) Despite paragraph (1)(e), where
necessary to meet the resolution objectives, the bridge bank may be established,
and authorized by the Commission, to carry out the activities or services that
it acquires by virtue of a transfer made under the bridge bank tool for a
period not exceeding 6 months without complying with the requirements set
out in paragraph (1)(e).
(3) The
Authority may submit a request to the Commission to permit the bridge bank to carry
on the activities referred to in paragraph (1)(e) beyond the period
referred to in paragraph (2) without complying with the requirements set
out in paragraph (1)(e).
(4) If
the Commission decides to grant a permission under paragraph (3), it shall
indicate the additional period for which the requirements set out in in
paragraph (1)(e) are waived.
(5) Notwithstanding any restrictions imposed
under the Competition
(Jersey) Law 2005, the management of the bridge bank shall operate the bridge bank
with a view to maintaining access to critical functions and selling the bridge bank,
or its assets, rights or liabilities, to one or more private sector purchasers
when conditions are appropriate and within the time limit set out in
paragraph (8) or any extension granted under paragraph (9), as the
case may be.
(6) The
Authority shall determine that the bridge bank is no longer a bridge bank if
any of the following outcomes occur, whichever occurs first –
(a) the bridge bank merges with another entity;
(b) the bridge bank ceases to meet the requirements of a bridge bank
set out at paragraph (1);
(c) the sale of all or substantially all of the bridge bank’s
assets, rights and liabilities to a third party;
(d) the bridge bank’s assets are completely wound down and its
liabilities are completely discharged;
(e) the expiry of the two-year time limit set out in
paragraph (8) or any extension granted under paragraph (9), as the
case may be.
(7) Where the Authority seeks to sell the
bridge bank or its assets, rights or liabilities, the Authority shall market
the bridge bank or assets, rights or liabilities openly and transparently, and
the sale shall not materially misrepresent assets, rights or liabilities or
unduly favour or discriminate between potential purchasers and must be made on
commercial terms having regard to the circumstances.
(8) Where
none of the outcomes referred to in paragraph (6)(a), (b), (c) or (d)
apply, the Authority shall terminate the operation of the bridge bank as soon
as possible and in any event 2 years after the date on which the last
transfer from a bank in resolution was made to the bridge bank under the bridge
bank tool.
(9) The Authority may extend the time limit for
termination of the bridge bank under paragraph (8) for one or more
additional one year periods where such an extension –
(a) supports an outcome referred to in paragraph (6)(a), (b),
(c) or (d); or
(b) is necessary to ensure the continuity of essential banking or
financial services.
(10) The Authority must give reasons for any
decision to extend the period for termination of the bridge bank, and a
detailed assessment of the situation including the market conditions and
outlook, that justifies the extension.
(11) Where the operations of a bridge bank have
been terminated as a result of the sale of all or substantially all of its
assets, rights or liabilities, or as a result of the expiry of the time limit
set out in paragraph (8) or any extension granted under paragraph (9),
the bridge bank shall be wound up in accordance with Part 7.
(12) Subject to Article 37, any proceeds
generated as a result of the termination of the operation of the bridge bank shall
be applied for the benefit of the shareholders of the bridge bank.
(13) In this Article “authorized” includes,
licensed, registered and approved.
Chapter 3 – Asset separation tool
63 Application of asset
separation tool
(1) The Authority may apply the asset
separation tool to a bank in resolution by making a property transfer
instrument effecting the transfer of the assets, rights or liabilities
of –
(a) the bank in resolution;
or
(b) a bridge bank to which
assets, rights or liabilities have been transferred under the bridge bank tool,
to an asset management vehicle.
(2) For the purposes of the transfer referred
to in paragraph (1), the Authority may make one or more instruments of
transfer.
(3) Where assets, rights or liabilities of a
bank in resolution are transferred to an asset management vehicle by
application of the asset separation tool, the Authority may make one or more
supplementary instruments of transfer transferring any of those assets, rights
or liabilities to one or more other asset management vehicles.
(4) Subject to the resolution safeguards, the
Authority may apply the asset separation tool to a bank in resolution without –
(a) the consent of the
shareholders of the bank in resolution or any third party; and
(b) complying with any
procedural requirements under the Companies
(Jersey) Law 1991, Security
Interests (Jersey) Law 2012 or Security
Interests (Jersey) Law 1983 or the constitutional
documents of the bank other than those procedural requirements specified in
this Law or the Regulations or an Order made under this Law.
(5) An asset management vehicle shall manage
the assets transferred to it under paragraph (1) with a view to maximizing
their value through eventual sale or orderly liquidation.
(6) The Authority may only apply the asset
separation tool to a bank in resolution if –
(a) the situation of the
particular market for the assets of the bank in resolution is of such a nature
that the liquidation of those assets under relevant insolvency proceedings could
have an adverse effect on one or more financial markets;
(b) such a transfer is
necessary to ensure the proper functioning of the bank in resolution or bridge
bank; or
(c) such a transfer is
necessary to maximize liquidation proceeds.
(7) Subject to Article 37, any
consideration paid by the asset management vehicle in the form of debt issued
by the asset management vehicle in respect of the assets, rights or liabilities
acquired directly from the bank in resolution shall be applied for the benefit
of the bank in resolution.
(8) Where a bridge bank tool has been applied
to a bank in resolution, an asset management vehicle may, subsequent to the
application of the bridge bank tool, acquire assets, rights or liabilities from
the bridge bank.
(9) The Authority may transfer assets, rights
or liabilities from the bank in resolution to one or more asset management
vehicles more than once, and transfer assets, rights or liabilities back from
one or more asset management vehicles to the bank in resolution if any of the
circumstances in paragraph (11) apply.
(10) Where the Authority transfers assets, rights
or liabilities back to the bank in resolution under paragraph (9), the
bank in resolution shall take back any such assets, rights or liabilities.
(11) The Authority may, subject to complying with
any other conditions in the instrument of transfer, transfer assets, rights or
liabilities back from the asset management vehicle to the bank in resolution in
any of the following circumstances –
(a) where the possibility
that the specific assets, rights or liabilities will be transferred back is
stated expressly in the instrument of transfer by which the transfer was made;
or
(b) where the specific
assets, rights or liabilities do not in fact fall within the classes of, or
meet the conditions for transfer of assets, rights or liabilities specified in
the instrument of transfer by which the transfer was made.
(12) A transfer between the bank in resolution
and the asset management vehicle shall be without prejudice to the resolution safeguard
for partial transfers under Article 80.
(13) Without prejudice to the resolution
safeguards, shareholders or creditors of the bank in resolution and other third
parties whose assets, rights or liabilities are not transferred to the asset
management vehicle shall not have any rights over or in relation to the assets,
rights or liabilities transferred to the asset management vehicle or its
management.
(14) An asset management vehicle or its management
shall not be liable in damages to the bank in resolution or its shareholders or
creditors for anything done or omitted in the discharge or purported discharge
of any functions under this Law unless it is shown that the act or omission was
in bad faith.
64 Operation of asset
management vehicle
The Authority shall ensure that the operation of an asset management
vehicle complies with the following requirements –
(a) the contents of an asset
management vehicle’s constitutional documents are approved by the Authority;
(b) subject to the asset
management vehicle’s ownership structure, the Authority appoints or approves
the asset management vehicle’s management body;
(c) the Authority approves
the remuneration of the members of the management body of the asset management
vehicle and determines their appropriate responsibilities; and
(d) the Authority approves
the strategy and risk profile of the asset management vehicle.
Chapter 4 – Bail-in tool
65 Application
of bail-in tool
(1) The Authority may apply the bail-in tool to
meet the resolution objectives, in accordance with the general principles of resolution,
for any of the following purposes –
(a) to recapitalize a bank that
meets the resolution conditions to the extent sufficient to restore the bank’s ability
to –
(i) satisfy the Commission that it is a fit and proper
person to be registered to undertake deposit-taking business in accordance with
Article 10(3)(a) of the 1991 Law, and
(ii) continue to carry out
the activities for which the bank is registered under the 1991 Law, registered
under the Financial
Services (Jersey) Law 1998 or authorized under any
other enactment to undertake other financial services business, and to sustain
sufficient market confidence in the bank; or
(b) in accordance with
Article 74, to exercise the Authority’s write down or conversion power to convert
to equity or reduce the principal amount of claims or debt instruments that are
transferred –
(i) to
a bridge bank with a view to providing capital for the bridge bank, or
(ii) under
the sale of business tool or the asset separation tool.
(2) The Authority may, in order to apply the
bail-in tool to a bank under paragraph (1), make one or more resolution
instruments.
(3) The Authority may apply the bail-in tool
for the purposes referred to in paragraph (1)(a) only if there is a
reasonable prospect that the application of the bail-in tool together with any other
relevant measures will, in addition to achieving the relevant resolution
objectives, restore the bank to financial soundness and long-term viability.
(4) Where there is no such reasonable prospect
as referred to in to paragraph (3), the Authority may apply the bail-in
tool for the purposes referred to in paragraph (1)(b) together with sale
of business tool, bridge bank tool or asset separation tool.
(5) The Authority may apply the bail-in tool to
a bank under paragraph (1), while respecting, in each case, the legal form
of the bank or while changing the legal form of the bank if the Authority is of
the view that changing the legal form is necessary to achieve the resolution
objectives.
(6) The bail-in tool may be applied in respect
of any liability of a bank that is not excluded from the scope of the bail-in
tool under paragraph (7) or (8).
(7) The Authority shall not exercise the write
down or conversion power in relation to the following liabilities whether they
are governed by the law of Jersey or by the law of another jurisdiction –
(a) covered deposits;
(b) secured liabilities
including covered bonds and liabilities in the form of financial instruments
used for hedging purposes which form an integral part of the cover pool and
which according to Jersey law are secured in a way similar to covered bonds;
(c) any liabilities that
arise by virtue of the holding by the bank of client assets including client
assets held on behalf of a recognized fund (within the meaning of
Article 1 of the Collective
Investment Funds (Jersey) Law 1988) or
an AIF (within the meaning of the Alternative
Investment Funds (Jersey) Regulations 2012),
if such client assets are protected under Jersey law relating to insolvency.
(d) any liabilities that
arise by virtue of a fiduciary relationship between the bank (as fiduciary) and
another person (as beneficiary) if such beneficiary’s interests are protected
under Jersey law relating to insolvency;
(e) liabilities to a credit
institution, excluding entities that are part of the same group, with an
original maturity of less than 7 days;
(f) liabilities with a
remaining maturity of less than 7 days, owed to payment and securities
settlement systems or their participants and arising from the participation in any
such system; or
(g) liabilities to any one of
the following –
(i) an
employee, in relation to accrued salary, or other fixed remuneration, except
for the variable component of remuneration that is not regulated by a
collective bargaining agreement,
(ii) a
commercial or trade creditor arising from the provision to the bank in
resolution of goods and services that are critical to the daily functioning of
its operations, including information technology services, utilities and
rental, servicing and upkeep of premises,
(iii) tax
and social security services in Jersey, or
(iv) Jersey Bank Depositors Compensation Board.
(8) In exceptional circumstances, where the
bail-in tool is applied, the Authority may exclude or partially exclude certain
liabilities from the application of the write down or conversion powers where –
(a) it is
not possible to bail-in that liability within a reasonable time despite the
good faith efforts of the Authority;
(b) the
exclusion is strictly necessary and is proportionate to achieve the continuity
of critical functions and core business lines in a manner that maintains the
ability of the bank in resolution to continue key operations, services and
transactions;
(c) the
exclusion is strictly necessary and proportionate to avoid giving rise to
widespread contagion, in particular as regards
eligible deposits which would severely disrupt the functioning of financial
markets, including financial market infrastructures, in a manner that could
cause broader financial instability; or
(d) the
application of the bail-in tool to those liabilities would cause a destruction of
value such that the losses borne by other creditors would be higher than if
those liabilities were excluded from bail-in.
(9) Where
the Authority decides to exclude or partially exclude an eligible liability or
class of eligible liabilities under paragraph (8), the level of write down
or conversion applied to other eligible liabilities may be increased to take
account of such exclusions, if the level of write down or conversion applied to
other eligible liabilities complies with the general principle of resolution
specified in Article 35(g).
(10) Where
the Authority decides to exclude or partially exclude an eligible liability or
class of eligible liabilities under paragraph (8) and the losses that
would have been borne by those liabilities have not been passed on fully to
other creditors, a contribution may, subject to paragraph (11), be made out of the Fund to the bank in resolution to do any of
the following –
(a) cover
any losses which have not been absorbed by eligible liabilities and restore the
net asset value of the bank in resolution to zero in accordance with Article 66(1)(a);
and
(b) purchase
shares in the bank in resolution to recapitalize the bank in accordance with Article 66(1)(b).
(11) A
contribution may be made from the Fund under paragraph (10) only where –
(a) a
contribution to loss absorption and recapitalization equal to an amount not
less than 8% of the total liabilities including own funds of the bank in
resolution, measured by the pre-resolution valuation, has been made by the
shareholders, the holders of relevant capital instruments and other eligible
liabilities through write down, conversion or otherwise; and
(b) the
contribution from the Fund does not exceed 5% of the total liabilities
including own funds of the bank in resolution, measured by the pre-resolution
valuation or provisional valuation, as the case may be.
(12) In extraordinary
circumstances, where the bail-in tool is applied the Authority may seek further
funding from alternative financing sources.
(13) In exercising
its discretion under paragraph (8), the Authority shall give due
consideration to –
(a) the
principle that losses shall be borne first by shareholders and next, in
general, by creditors of the bank in resolution in order of preference;
(b) the
level of loss absorbing capacity that would remain in the bank in resolution if
the liability or class of liabilities were excluded; and
(c) the
need to maintain adequate resources for resolution financing.
(14) In this
Article –
“authorized” includes, licensed, registered and approved;
“credit institution” means a bank or an entity that is carrying on
deposit-taking business (whether or not incorporated, or carrying on business,
in Jersey).
66 Assessment of amount of bail-in
(1) In
applying the bail-in tool under Article 65, the Authority shall assess for
the purposes of paragraph (2), on the basis of
the pre-resolution valuation, the aggregate of –
(a) where
relevant, the amount by which eligible liabilities must be written down to
ensure that the net asset value of the bank in resolution is equal to zero; and
(b) where
relevant, the amount by which eligible liabilities must be converted into
shares or other types of capital instruments to restore the Common Equity
Tier 1 capital ratio of either –
(i) the
bank in resolution, or
(ii) the
bridge bank.
(2) The
assessment referred to in paragraph (1) shall establish the amount by
which eligible liabilities need to be written down and converted in order –
(a) to
restore the Common Equity Tier 1 capital ratio of the bank in resolution
or, where applicable, establish the ratio of the bridge bank, taking into
account any contribution of capital by the Fund under Article 22(5)(d)(iv);
(b) to
sustain sufficient market confidence in the bank in resolution or the bridge
bank; and
(c) to enable
the bank in resolution or the bridge bank to continue to satisfy the Commission,
for at least one year, that it is a fit and proper
person to be registered to carry on deposit-taking business in accordance with
Article 10(3)(a) of the 1991 Law.
(3) Where the
Authority intends to apply the asset separation tool together with the bail-in
tool to a bank in resolution, the amount by which eligible liabilities need to
be reduced shall take into account a prudent estimate
of the capital needs of the asset management vehicle as appropriate.
(4) Where
capital has been written down in accordance with the write down or conversion
power, and the bail-in tool has been applied, and the level of write down based
on the pre-resolution valuation is found to exceed requirements when assessed
against the definitive valuation, a write up mechanism may be applied to
reimburse creditors and then shareholders to the extent necessary.
67 Treatment of shareholders in bail-in or write down or conversion
(1) When applying the bail-in tool or the write
down or conversion power, the Authority shall take, in respect of shareholders of the bank in
resolution, one or both of the following actions –
(a) cancel
existing shares or transfer them to creditors that have been bailed-in;
(b) provided
that, in accordance with the pre-resolution valuation (or provisional
valuation, if applicable), the bank in resolution has a positive net value, dilute
existing shareholders as a result of the conversion
into shares using the write down or conversion power of –
(i) relevant
capital instruments, or
(ii) eligible
liabilities,
issued by the bank in resolution.
(2) The
Authority shall take the actions referred to in paragraph (1) in respect
of shareholders where the shares were issued or conferred in the following
circumstances –
(a) pursuant
to the conversion of debt instruments to shares in accordance with the
contractual terms of the original debt on the occurrence of an event that
preceded or occurred at the same time as the assessment by the Authority that
the bank met the resolution conditions; or
(b) pursuant
to the conversion of relevant capital instruments to Common Equity Tier 1
instruments under the write down or conversion power.
(3) In considering
which action to take in accordance with paragraph (1), the Authority shall
have regard to –
(a) the
pre-resolution valuation (or provisional valuation, if applicable);
(b) the
amount by which the Authority has assessed that Common Equity Tier 1 items
must be reduced and relevant capital instruments must be written down or
converted pursuant to the write down or conversion power; and
(c) the aggregate amount
assessed by the Authority under Article 66(1).
68 Sequence
of write down or conversion
(1) Subject
to any exclusions set out in Article 65(7) and (8), the Authority, in
exercising the write down or conversion power when applying the bail-in tool, shall
meet the following requirements –
(a) the
Authority shall reduce the Common Equity Tier 1 items in accordance with
Article 74(6);
(b) if the
total reduction under sub-paragraph (a) is less than the sum of the
amounts referred to in Article 67(3)(b) and (c), the Authority shall reduce
the principal amount of Additional Tier 1 instruments to the extent
required and to the extent of their capacity;
(c) if the
total reduction pursuant to sub-paragraphs (a) and (b) is less than
the sum of the amounts referred to in Article 67(3)(b) and (c), the
Authority shall reduce the principal amount of Tier 2 instruments to the
extent required and to the extent of their capacity;
(d) if the
total reduction of shares and relevant capital instruments pursuant to sub-paragraphs (a),
(b) and (c) is less than the sum of the amounts referred to in Article 67(3)(b)
and (c), the Authority shall reduce to the extent required the principal
amount of subordinated debt that is not Additional Tier 1 or Tier 2
capital in accordance with the priority of claims that would apply if the bank
were to be wound up under relevant insolvency
proceedings, in conjunction with the write down
pursuant to sub-paragraphs (a), (b) and (c) to produce the sum
of the amounts referred to in Article 67(3)(b) and (c); or
(e) if the
total reduction of shares, relevant capital instruments and eligible
liabilities pursuant to sub-paragraphs (a) to (d) is less than the sum of
the amounts referred in Article 67(3)(b) and (c), the Authority shall
reduce to the extent required the principal amount of, or outstanding amount
payable in respect of, the rest of eligible liabilities in accordance with the priority
of claims that would apply if the bank were to be wound up under relevant insolvency proceedings, including the ranking of deposits provided for in
Article 30, pursuant to the bail-in tool, in conjunction with the write
down pursuant to sub-paragraphs (a) to (d) to produce the sum of the
amounts referred to in Article 67(3)(b) and (c).
(2) When
applying the write down or conversion power, the Authority shall allocate the
losses represented by the sum of the amounts referred to in Article 67(3)(b)
and (c) equally between shares and eligible liabilities of the same rank by
reducing the principal amount of, or outstanding amount payable in respect of,
those shares and eligible liabilities to the same extent pro rata to their
value, except where a different allocation of losses amongst liabilities of the
same rank is allowed in the circumstances specified in Article 65(8).
(3) Paragraph (2)
shall not prevent liabilities which have been excluded from bail-in in
accordance with Article 65(7) and (8) from receiving more favourable
treatment than eligible liabilities which are of the same rank in a bank winding up.
(4) Before
applying the write down or conversion power, the Authority shall convert or
reduce the principal amount on instruments referred to in paragraph (1)(b),
(c) and (d) when those instruments contain the following terms and have not
been fully converted –
(a) terms
that provide for the principal amount of the instrument to be reduced on the
occurrence of any event that refers to the financial situation, solvency or levels of own funds of the bank; or
(b) terms
that provide for the conversion of the instrument to shares on the occurrence
of any such event.
(5) Where
the principal amount of an instrument has been reduced, but not reduced to
zero, in accordance with terms referred to in paragraph (4)(a), before the
application of the bail-in tool under paragraph (1), the Authority shall apply
the write down or conversion power to the residual amount of that principal amount
in accordance with paragraph (1).
(6) In deciding
on whether liabilities are to be written down or converted into equity, the Authority
shall not convert one class of liabilities while a class of liabilities that is
subordinated to that class remains substantially unconverted into equity or not
written down, unless otherwise permitted under Article 65(7) and (8).
69 Derivatives
(1) The Authority
shall exercise the write down or conversion power in relation to a liability
arising from a derivative contract only upon or after closing-out that derivate
contract.
(2) The
Authority may terminate and close out any derivative contract upon a bank’s entry
into resolution for the purpose of the entry into resolution.
(3) Where a
derivative contract has been excluded from the application of the bail-in tool
pursuant to Article 65(8), the Authority shall not be under any obligation
to terminate or close out the derivative contract.
(4) Where a
derivative contract is subject to a netting arrangement, the value of the
liability for the purposes of the pre-resolution valuation (or provisional
valuation, if applicable) shall be determined on a net basis in accordance with
the terms of the netting arrangement.
(5) The
Authority shall determine the value of liabilities arising from derivative
contracts in accordance with –
(a) appropriate
methodologies for determining the value of classes of derivative contracts,
including contracts that are subject to netting arrangements;
(b) principles
for establishing the relevant point in time at which the value of a derivative
position shall be established; and
(c) appropriate
methodologies for comparing the destruction of value that would arise from the
close out and bail-in of derivative contracts with the amount of losses that
would be borne by derivative contracts in bail-in.
(6) When
the write down or conversion power is used, the Authority may apply a different
conversion rate to different classes of capital instruments and liabilities in
accordance with one or both of the following principles –
(a) the conversion rate shall represent appropriate compensation to the
affected creditor for any loss incurred by virtue of the exercise of the write
down or conversion power;
(b) when different conversion
rates are applied, the conversion rate applicable to liabilities that rank
higher under this Law shall be higher than the conversion rate applicable to
subordinated liabilities.
70 Business reorganization plan
(1) Where the bail-in tool has been used, the
Authority shall ensure that a business reorganization plan is drawn up and
implemented in accordance with this Article.
(2) The
implementation of a business reorganization plan may include the appointment by
the Authority of persons (pursuant to its resolution power to take control over
a bank in resolution under Article 29(1)(b)) for the purpose of drawing up
and implementing the business reorganization plan.
(3) Within one month after the application of
the bail-in tool to a bank, the management of the bank shall draw up and submit
to the Authority a business reorganization plan setting out measures to restore
the long-term viability of the bank within a reasonable period, on the basis of
realistic assumptions as to the economic and financial market conditions under
which the bank will operate.
(4) Where a group resolution has been carried
out, including where a foreign resolution instrument has been made, a group
level business reorganization plan may be accepted by the Authority for the
purpose of this Article.
(5) In exceptional circumstances, and if it is
necessary for meeting the resolution objectives, the Authority may extend the
period in paragraph (3).
(6) A
business reorganization plan shall contain at least the following –
(a) a detailed diagnosis of
the factors and problems that caused the bank to fail or to be likely to fail
and the circumstances that led to its difficulties;
(b) a description of the
measures aiming to restore the long-term viability of the bank that are to be
adopted; and
(c) a timescale for the implementation of those measures.
(7) Measures
aiming to restore the long-term viability of the bank under paragraph (6) may
include –
(a) the
reorganization of the activities of the bank;
(b) changes
to the operational systems and infrastructure within the bank;
(c) the
withdrawal from loss-making activities;
(d) the
restructuring of existing activities that can be made competitive; and
(e) the
sale of assets or business lines.
(8) Within
one month of the submission of the business reorganization plan, the Authority
together with the Commission, shall assess the likelihood that the business
reorganization plan, if implemented, will restore the long-term viability of
the bank.
(9) If on
assessment under paragraph (8), the Authority and the Commission are
satisfied that the business reorganization plan will restore the long-term
viability of the bank, the Authority shall approve the plan.
(10) If on
assessment the Authority or Commission are not satisfied that the business
reorganization plan is likely to restore the long-term viability of the bank,
the Authority, in agreement with the Commission shall notify the management of
its concerns and require the amendment of the business reorganization plan in a
way that will address those concerns.
(11) Within 2 weeks
of receiving a notification by the Authority under paragraph (10), the
management of the bank shall submit an amended business reorganization plan to
the Authority.
(12) The Authority,
together with the Commission, shall assess the amended business reorganization plan
submitted under paragraph (11) and the Authority, in agreement with the
Commission shall notify the management of the bank, within one week of the
assessment of the amended business reorganization plan, as to whether the
Authority is satisfied that the amended business reorganization plan addresses
the concerns notified or whether further amendment is required.
(13) The
management of the bank shall implement the business reorganization plan and shall
submit a report to the Authority at least every 6 months on the progress
of the implementation of the business reorganization plan until such time as
the Authority may determine.
(14) A business
reorganization plan may be further amended following its initial implementation
if the Authority is of the view that changes to the plan are required to
achieve the long-term viability of the bank.
71 Ancillary provisions relating to bail-in
(1) Where
the Authority exercises the write down or conversion power, such write down or
conversion shall take effect and be immediately binding on the bank in
resolution and affected creditors and shareholders of the bank in resolution.
(2) The Authority
may complete or cause the completion of all administrative and procedural tasks
necessary to give effect to the write down or conversion power including –
(a) the
amendment of all relevant registers;
(b) the
delisting or removal from trading of shares or debt instruments;
(c) the
listing or admission to trading of new shares; and
(d) the
relisting or readmission of any debt instruments which have been written down,
without the requirement for a prospectus if a prospectus would in normal
circumstances be required.
(3) Where
the Authority reduces to zero the principal amount of, or outstanding amount
payable in respect of, a liability by means of the write down or conversion power,
that liability and any obligations or claims arising in relation to it that are
not accrued at the time when the power is exercised shall be discharged for all
purposes, and shall not be provable in any subsequent proceedings in relation
to the bank in resolution or any successor entity in any subsequent winding up.
(4) Where
the Authority reduces in part, but not in full, the principal amount of, or
outstanding amount payable in respect of, a liability by means of the write
down or conversion power –
(a) such
liability shall be discharged to the extent of the amount reduced; and
(b) the
relevant instrument or agreement that created the original liability shall
continue to apply in relation to the residual principal amount or outstanding
amount payable in respect of the liability, subject to any modification of the
amount of interest payable to reflect the reduction of the principal amount,
and any further modification of the terms that the Authority might make by
means of the write down or conversion power.
(5) Procedural
impediments to the conversion of liabilities to shares by virtue of their instruments
of incorporation or the law of Jersey (other than this Law), including
pre-emption rights for shareholders or requirements for the consent of
shareholders to an increase in capital, shall not prevent the application of a stabilization
tool, in particular the write down or conversion power.
72 Contractual recognition
of bail-in
(1) Subject
to paragraph (3), a bank shall include in its contractual documents a
contractual term by which the creditor or party to an agreement creating an
eligible liability recognizes that that liability may be subject to the write
down or conversion power and agrees to be bound by any reduction of the
principal or outstanding amount due, conversion or cancellation that is
effected by the exercise of that power by the Authority, if such liability
is –
(a) not excluded under Article 65(7);
(b) not a covered deposit;
(c) governed by the law of a
jurisdiction other than Jersey; and
(d) issued or entered into –
(i) on or after the date, if any, prescribed
by the Minister by Order for the purpose of this Article, or
(ii) before that date, if on
or after that date the bank has the ability to amend the contract to include
such a contractual term.[3]
(2) Subject
to paragraph (3), the Authority may specify contractual terms which the
bank shall include in its contractual documents in relation to other
liabilities.
(3) Paragraph (1)(a)
shall not apply where the Authority determines that the liability referred to
in paragraph (1) can be subject to write down or conversion powers by the resolution
authority of another jurisdiction or pursuant to a binding agreement concluded
with that other jurisdiction.
(4) A failure
to include the terms as are referred to under paragraph (1) shall not
prevent the Authority from exercising the write down or conversion power in
relation to that liability.
(5) A bank that fails to comply with paragraph (1) shall be guilty
of an offence and liable to a fine of level 3 on the standard scale.
(6) The Authority may waive the requirements
set out in paragraph (1) in respect of a bank.
Chapter 5 – Government financial assistance tool
73 Application of government
financial assistance tool
(1) Subject to paragraph (2), the
Authority, acting in agreement with and under the direction of the Minister,
may apply the government financial assistance tool to a bank by providing
extraordinary public financial support to the bank in accordance with
paragraph (3) for the purpose of resolving the bank, including by
intervening directly to avoid its winding up, with a view to meeting the
resolution objectives.
(2) The Authority may only apply the government
financial assistance tool in respect of a bank –
(a) as a last resort after
having assessed and exploited the other stabilization tools to the maximum
extent practicable whilst maintaining financial stability; and
(b) if the resolution
conditions are met, and the Minister and the Authority both determine that
either or both of the following conditions are met –
(i) the application of the other resolution
tools would not suffice to avoid significant adverse effect on the financial
system in Jersey, or
(ii) the application of the
other resolution tools would not suffice to protect the public interest where
extraordinary liquidity assistance has already been given to the bank.
(3) The Authority may apply the government
assistance financial tool to a bank by –
(a) while complying with the Companies
(Jersey) Law 1991, participating in the
recapitalization of a bank in resolution by providing capital in exchange for
the Common Equity Tier 1 instruments, Additional Tier 1 instruments or
Tier 2 instruments if the Authority ensures –
(i) to the extent that its shareholding of the
bank permits, that the bank is managed on a commercial and professional basis,
and
(ii) that its holding in the
bank is transferred to the private sector as soon as commercial and financial
circumstances allow; or
(b) taking the bank in
resolution into temporary public ownership, if the
bank is managed on a commercial and professional basis and that it is
transferred to the private sector as soon as commercial and financial
circumstances allow.
(4) For the purposes of taking a bank into
temporary public ownership under paragraph (3), the Authority may make one
or more share transfer orders in which the transferee is –
(a) nominee of the Authority;
or
(b) a company wholly owned by
the Authority.
Chapter 6 – Write down and conversion power
74 Write down or
conversion power
(1) Subject to paragraph (2), the
Authority shall have the power to issue a mandatory reduction instrument to
write down or convert relevant capital instruments or other liabilities of a
bank in resolution into shares of the bank including the power –
(a) to reduce (including to zero) the
principal amount of, or outstanding amount due, in respect of eligible
liabilities of a bank in resolution;
(b) to cancel the debt instruments
issued by a bank in resolution except secured liabilities;
(c) to reduce, including reducing to
zero, the nominal amount of shares of a bank in resolution and to cancel such
shares;
(d) to require a bank in resolution to
issue new shares or other capital instruments, including preference shares and
contingent convertible instruments.
(2) The Authority may only exercise the write
down or conversion power after carrying out a pre-resolution valuation (or a
provisional valuation, if applicable).
(3) For the purpose of paragraph (2), a
pre-resolution valuation or a provisional valuation, as the case may be, shall
form the basis of the calculation of the write down to be applied to the
relevant capital instruments in order to absorb losses and the level of
conversion to be applied to the relevant capital instruments in order to
recapitalize the bank.
(4) The Authority may exercise the write down
or conversion power –
(a) independently of a
resolution action; or
(b) in combination with a
resolution action, where the resolution conditions are met.
(5) The Authority may exercise the write down
or conversion power in accordance with this Article without delay in relation
to relevant capital instruments issued by a bank in resolution, when one or
more of the following circumstances apply –
(a) the determination has
been made that the resolution conditions have been met, before any resolution
action has been taken;
(b) the Authority determines
that unless the write down or conversion power is exercised in relation to
relevant capital instruments, the bank will no longer be viable;
(c) in the case of relevant
capital instruments issued by a bank that is a subsidiary, and where those relevant
capital instruments are recognized for the purposes of meeting any minimum
requirement for own funds and eligible liabilities set under Article 26,
the Authority determines that unless the write down or conversion power is
exercised the bank’s group would no longer be viable;
(d) in the case of relevant
capital instruments issued by a bank that is a parent, and where those relevant
capital instruments are recognized for the purposes of meeting any minimum
requirement for own funds and eligible liabilities set under Article 26,
the Authority determines that unless the write down or conversion power is
exercised the bank’s group would no longer be viable; or
(e) government financial
assistance is required by the bank except in the circumstances set out in
Article 2(e).
(6) In complying with the requirements under
paragraph (5), the Authority shall exercise the write down or conversion
power in accordance with the priority of claims that would apply if the bank in
resolution were to be wound up under relevant insolvency proceedings, in a way
that produces the following results –
(a) Common
Equity Tier 1 items are reduced first in proportion to the losses and to
the extent of their capacity and the Authority takes one or both of the actions
specified in Article 67(1) in respect of the holders of Common Equity
Tier 1 instruments;
(b) the
principal amount of Additional Tier 1 instruments is written down or
converted into Common Equity Tier 1 instruments or both, to the extent
required to achieve the resolution objectives or to the extent of the capacity
of the relevant capital instruments, whichever is lower; and
(c) the principal amount of
Tier 2 instruments is written down or converted into Common Equity Tier 1
instruments or both, to the extent required to achieve the resolution
objectives or to the extent of the capacity of the relevant capital
instruments, whichever is lower.
(7) Where the principal amount of a relevant capital
instrument is written down –
(a) the reduction of that
principal amount shall be permanent, subject to any write up in accordance with
Article 66(4);
(b) no liability to the
holder of the relevant capital instrument shall remain under or in connection
with that amount of the instrument which has been written down, except for any
liability already accrued and any liability for damages that may arise as a
result of an appeal against the exercise of the write down or conversion power
(but this shall not prevent the provision of Common Equity Tier 1
instruments to a holder of relevant capital instruments in accordance with
paragraph (8));
(c) no compensation is paid
to any holder of the relevant capital instruments other than in accordance with
paragraph (8).
(8) In order to effect a conversion of
relevant capital instruments under paragraph (6)(b), the Authority or
Commission may require banks to issue Common Equity Tier 1 instruments to
the holders of the relevant capital instruments and the relevant capital
instruments may only be converted where the following conditions are met –
(a) those Common Equity Tier 1
instruments are issued by the bank with the agreement of the Authority or
Commission;
(b) those Common Equity Tier 1
instruments are issued prior to any issuance of shares by that bank for the
purposes of provision of own funds by a public authority;
(c) those Common Equity Tier 1
instruments are awarded and transferred without delay following the exercise of
the write down or conversion power; and
(d) the conversion rate that
determines the number of Common Equity Tier 1 instruments that are
provided in respect of each relevant capital instrument complies with the
principles set out in Article 69(6).
Chapter 7 – Default Event Provisions
75 Default event provisions
(1) The following shall be disregarded in
determining whether a default event provision applies –
(a) a crisis prevention
measure, crisis management measure or recognized foreign resolution action
taken in relation to a bank in resolution (or any member of the bank’s group);
and
(b) the occurrence of any
event directly linked to the application of such measure or action,
if the substantive obligations under the contract or other agreement
(which provides the default event provision), including payment and delivery
obligations and the provision of collateral, continue to be performed.
(2) Paragraph (1) applies where a contract
or other agreement –
(a) is entered into by a bank
or foreign bank;
(b) is entered into by a
subsidiary undertaking of a bank or foreign bank, whose obligations are
guaranteed by another group entity in the bank’s group or foreign bank’s group;
or
(c) is entered into by another
group entity in the bank’s group or foreign bank’s group,
and the substantive obligations provided for in the contract or
agreement (including payment and delivery obligations and provision of
collateral) continue to be performed.
(3) A resolution instrument or share transfer
order may make provision for paragraph (4) or (5) to apply in circumstances
where paragraph (1) would not apply.
(4) If this paragraph applies, the resolution
instrument or share transfer order shall be disregarded in determining whether
a default event provision applies.
(5) If this paragraph applies, the resolution
instrument or share transfer order shall be disregarded in determining whether
a default event provision applies except so far as the resolution instrument or
share transfer order provides otherwise.
(6) A reference in paragraph (3), (4) or (5)
to a resolution instrument or share transfer order is a reference to –
(a) the making of the
resolution instrument or share transfer order;
(b) anything to be done under
the resolution instrument or share transfer order or is to be, or may be, done
under the resolution instrument or share transfer order; and
(c) any action or decision
taken or made under this Law or another enactment in so far as it resulted in,
or was connected to, the making of the resolution instrument or share transfer
order.
(7) A provision in a resolution instrument or
share transfer order under paragraph (6) may apply paragraph (4) or
(5) –
(a) generally or only for
specified purposes, cases or circumstances; or
(b) differently for different
purposes, cases or circumstances.
(8) A thing is not done under a resolution
instrument or a share transfer order for the purposes of paragraph (6)(b)
merely by virtue of being done under a contract or other agreement, rights or
obligations which have been affected by the resolution instrument or share transfer
order.
(9) In this Article –
“default event provision” means a provision of a contract or other
agreement –
(a) that has the effect that
if a specified event or situation arises –
(i) the agreement is terminated, modified,
replaced or suspended,
(ii) rights or duties under
the agreement are terminated, modified, replaced or suspended,
(iii) a right accrues to
terminate, modify or replace the agreement,
(iv) a right accrues to
terminate, modify or replace rights or duties under the agreement,
(v) a set-off or netting right accrues under
the contract,
(vi) a sum becomes payable or
ceases to be payable,
(vii) delivery of anything
becomes due or ceases to be due,
(viii) a right to claim a payment
or delivery accrues, changes or lapses,
(ix) any other right accrues,
changes or lapses, or
(x) an interest is created, changes or lapses;
or
(b) that has the effect that a provision of the contract or
agreement –
(i) takes effect only if a specified event
occurs or does not occur,
(ii) takes effect only if a specified
situation arises or does not arise,
(iii) has effect only for so
long as a specified event does not occur,
(iv) has effect only while a
specified situation lasts,
(v) applies differently if a specified event
occurs,
(vi) applies differently if a specified
situation occurs, or
(vii) applies differently while
a specified situation lasts;
“specified”, in relation to a contract or other agreement,
resolution instrument or share transfer order, means specified in the contract
or other agreement, resolution instrument or share transfer order.
Chapter 8 –
Resolution Safeguards
76 Treatment of shareholders
in the case of partial transfers and application of the bail-in tool
Where
one or more of the resolution tools have been applied –
(a) except
where sub-paragraph (b) applies, where the Authority transfers only part
of the assets, rights and liabilities of the bank in resolution, the
shareholders and creditors whose claims have not been transferred shall receive
in satisfaction of their claims at least as much as they would have received if
the bank in resolution had been wound up under relevant insolvency proceedings at
the time when the decision was taken to stabilize the bank; and
(b) where
the Authority applies the bail-in tool, the shareholders and creditors whose
claims have been written down or converted to equity shall not incur greater
losses than they would have incurred if the bank in resolution had been wound
up under relevant insolvency proceedings immediately at the time when the
decision was taken to stabilize it.
77 Difference of treatment
valuation
(1) For
the purpose of assessing whether shareholders and creditors would have received
better treatment if a bank in resolution had been wound up under relevant
insolvency proceedings, the Authority shall, in accordance with an Order made
under Article 49, appoint an independent valuer to carry out a valuation
as soon as practicable after the application of a resolution action.
(2) A
difference of treatment valuation shall be distinct from any pre-resolution
valuation carried out under Article 44, provisional valuation carried out
under Article 45 or definitive valuation carried out under
Article 46.
(3) A
difference of treatment valuation shall determine –
(a) the
treatment that shareholders, creditors and the Jersey Bank Depositors
Compensation Board would have received if relevant insolvency proceedings in respect of the bank in resolution had
commenced at the time when the decision was taken to stabilize the bank;
(b) the
actual treatment that shareholders, creditors and the Jersey Bank Depositors
Compensation Board have received;
(c) whether
there is any difference between the treatments referred to in sub-paragraphs (a)
and (b).
(4) A
difference of treatment valuation shall –
(a) assume that relevant insolvency proceedings
in respect of the bank in resolution
would have commenced on the date on which the decision was taken to stabilize
it;
(b) assume
that the bank in resolution would have been liquidated in full on the date referred to in sub-paragraph (a);
(c) assume
that the stabilization action has not been effected; and
(d) disregard
any provision of extraordinary public financial support to the bank in
resolution.
(5) A
difference of treatment valuation shall be carried out in accordance with
standards set or adopted by the Authority under Article 48.
78 Safeguard for
shareholders and creditors
If the difference of
treatment valuation determines that any shareholder or creditor would incur greater
losses than it would incur in a winding up under relevant insolvency
proceedings contrary to the general
principle of resolution under Article 35(g), the
shareholder or creditor shall be entitled to the payment of the difference as
compensation from the Fund.
79 Procedural requirements
after creation of a resolution instrument or share transfer order
(1) As
soon as is reasonably practicable after the creation of a resolution instrument
or a share transfer order by which a resolution action is taken (including a
foreign resolution instrument), the Authority shall publish or procure the
publication of a copy of the resolution instrument or share transfer order or a
notice summarizing the key terms of the resolution instrument or share transfer
order by the following means –
(a) by
sending it to –
(i) the
bank in resolution,
(ii) the
Commission,
(iii) the
Minister,
(iv) the
Jersey Bank Depositors Compensation Board, and
(v) the
Viscount;
(b) by
publishing it on the website of –
(i) the
Commission,
(ii) the
States, and
(iii) the
bank in resolution;
(c) by
publishing it –
(i) in
the Jersey Gazette, and
(ii) in
any other national or international newspaper or other publication which in the
opinion of the Authority would maximise the likelihood of the resolution
instrument or share transfer instrument coming to the attention of affected
persons;
(d) by
requesting that the Minister lay a copy before the States Assembly (and the
Minister shall lay such copy before the States Assembly at the earliest
opportunity); and
(e) if
securities issued by the bank in resolution have been admitted to trading on a
regulated market, by means of a relevant regulatory information service.
(2) In
paragraph (1) “relevant regulatory information service” means a
service approved by the Authority to disseminate information in accordance with
this Law.
80 Safeguard for partial transfers
(1) Where the Authority –
(a) transfers some but not all of the assets, rights or liabilities of
a bank in resolution to another entity or, in the application of a resolution
tool, from a bridge bank or asset management vehicle to another person; or
(b) exercises the power under Article 29(1)(p),
the arrangements specified
in paragraph (2) and the counterparties of such arrangements shall, subject to paragraph (4), be protected.
(2) The arrangements protected under paragraph (1) are as follows –
(a) security
arrangements, under which a person has by way of security an actual or
contingent interest in the assets or rights that are subject to transfer,
irrespective of whether that interest is secured by specific assets or rights
or by way of a floating charge or similar arrangement;
(b) title
transfer financial collateral arrangements under which collateral to secure or
cover the performance of specified obligations is provided by a transfer of
full ownership of assets from the collateral provider to the collateral taker,
on terms providing for the collateral taker to transfer assets if those
specified obligations are performed;
(c) set-off
arrangements under which 2 or more claims or obligations owed between the bank
in resolution and a counterparty can be set off against each other;
(d) netting
arrangements;
(e) covered
bonds; or
(f) structured
finance arrangements, including securitisations and instruments used for hedging
purposes which form an integral part of the cover pool and which according to
Jersey law are secured in a way similar to the covered bonds which involve the
granting and holding of security by a party to the arrangement or a trustee,
agent or nominee.
(3) Paragraph (2)
shall apply irrespective of the number of parties involved in the arrangements or
whether the arrangements –
(a) are
created by contract, trusts or other means, or arise automatically by operation
of law; or
(b) arise
under or are governed in whole or in part by the law of another jurisdiction.
(4) The
form and extent of protection that is appropriate for the classes of
arrangements specified in paragraph (2) shall be as provided in
Article 81, 82, 83, 84, or 85, as the case may be.
81 Protection for security
arrangements
To protect liabilities
secured under security arrangements referred to in Article 80(2)(a), the
following shall not be permitted –
(a) the
transfer of assets against which a liability is secured, unless that liability
and the benefit of the security are also transferred;
(b) the
transfer of a secured liability, unless the benefit of the security is also
transferred;
(c) the
transfer of the benefit of the security, unless the secured liability is also
transferred; or
(d) the
modification or termination of a security arrangement through the exercise of
ancillary powers, if the effect of that modification or termination is that the
liability ceases to be secured.
82 Protection for title
transfer financial collateral, set-off and netting arrangements
To protect title transfer
financial collateral arrangements referred to in Article 80(2)(b), set-off
arrangements referred to in Article 80(2)(c) and netting arrangements
referred to in Article 80(2)(d), the transfer of some, but not all, of the
rights and liabilities that are protected under any such arrangement between
the bank in resolution and another person, and the modification or termination
of rights and liabilities that are protected under any such arrangement through
the exercise of ancillary powers, shall not be permitted.
83 Protection for structured
finance arrangements and covered bonds
To protect structured finance arrangements and covered bonds referred to in Article 80(2)(e) and (f), the
following shall not be permitted –
(a) the
transfer of some, but not all, of the assets, rights and liabilities which
constitute or form part of a structured finance arrangement or covered bond; or
(b) the
termination or modification, through the exercise of ancillary powers, of the
assets, rights and liabilities which constitute or form part of a structured
finance arrangement or covered bond,
to which the bank in
resolution is party.
84 Transfer or modification
of covered deposits and other assets, rights or liabilities
Despite Articles 81,
82 and 83, where necessary to ensure availability of the covered deposits, the
Authority may –
(a) transfer
covered deposits which are part of any of the arrangements referred to in those
Articles without transferring other assets, rights or liabilities that are part
of the same arrangements; or
(b) transfer,
modify or terminate the assets, rights or liabilities referred to in
paragraph (a) without transferring the covered deposits.
85 Protection of payment,
clearing and settlement systems: partial transfers
The application of a
resolution tool shall not prejudice the operation of payment, clearing and
settlement systems where the Authority –
(a) transfers
some but not all of the assets, rights or liabilities of a bank in resolution
to another entity; or
(b) exercises
its resolution power under Article 29(1)(p).
Chapter 9 –
Miscellaneous
86 International obligations
(1) The Authority shall not exercise a
resolution power in respect of a bank if the Minister, Commission or Attorney
General serves a notice on the Authority stating that the exercise of that
resolution power would be likely to contravene an international obligation of
the United Kingdom or Jersey.
(2) The
Authority may request that the Minister, Commission or Attorney General serves
an international obligation notice on the Authority where the Authority
believes that it is at risk of exercising a resolution power that may
contravene an international obligation of the United Kingdom or Jersey.
(3) An
international obligation notice –
(a) shall
be in writing;
(b) shall
state the reasons that the Minister, Commission or Attorney General (as the
case may be) believes that the exercise of a resolution power would cause
Jersey to contravene an international obligation of the United Kingdom or
Jersey;
(c) shall
state any actions that the Authority must take or must not take in order to
comply with an international obligation of the United Kingdom or Jersey; and
(d) may
be withdrawn (generally, partially or conditionally).[4]
(4) If
the Authority receives an international obligation notice, the Authority shall
consider the alternative courses of action that achieve the resolution
objectives but shall avoid the objections on which the international
obligations notice is based.
87 No requirement for advice
or opinion on technical area
Nothing in Article 86(1) or (2)
shall require the Minister, Commission, Attorney General or Authority or any other
person to give advice or an opinion on a technical area that is outside of that
person’s scope, jurisdiction or technical expertise.
88 Post resolution report
(1) The Authority shall submit a report to the
Minister with respect to any resolution action taken in respect of a bank no
more than 12 months after the resolution action has been concluded.
(2) A report under paragraph (1) shall
include –
(a) a summary of the
financial information relating to the resolution of the bank, including the
findings of each of the valuations carried out, in particular, outlining the
findings of the valuations in relation to the position of creditors, the
general principle of resolution under
Article 35(g) and the resolution safeguard under Article 78;
(b) an outline of the other
information available to the Authority based upon which it made the decision to
take a resolution action;
(c) if relevant, a review of
the quality of the information under sub-paragraph (a) or (b);
(d) an outline of relevant
information which has subsequently come into the possession of the Authority
highlighting the extent to which that information has changed from the
information which formed the basis of its decision to take a resolution action;
(e) a review of the decision
to take a resolution action, including an assessment of the extent to which the
information which has subsequently come into the possession of the Authority
might have led the Authority to have made a different decision had that
information been in its possession at the time that the decision was made;
(f) an assessment of the
effect of the resolution action and the extent to which that effect is
consistent with the intended effect of the resolution action;
(g) an assessment of lessons
learned, including practical hurdles encountered and any fundamental
deficiencies identified as a result of the resolution action; and
(h) proposals, if any, for
any changes to address the lessons learned.
(3) The Minister shall lay before the States a
copy of report submitted to him or her under paragraph (1) as soon as
practicable after it is submitted.
89 Recognition of foreign
resolution actions
(1) Subject to the approval of the Minister and
to paragraph (2), where the Authority is notified of a foreign resolution
action in respect of a foreign bank, the Authority shall make an
instrument –
(a) recognizing the foreign
resolution action;
(b) refusing to recognize the
foreign resolution action; or
(c) recognizing part of the
foreign action and refusing to recognize the remainder of the foreign
resolution action.
(2) The Authority may refuse to recognize a
foreign resolution action (or any part of it) if it is satisfied that one or
more of the following conditions are met –
(a) such recognition would
have an adverse effect on financial stability in Jersey;
(b) the taking of a
resolution action by the Authority in relation to a branch located in Jersey of
a foreign bank is necessary to achieve one or more of the resolution
objectives;
(c) under the foreign
resolution action, creditors (including, in particular, depositors) located or
payable in Jersey would not, by reason of being located in Jersey, receive the
same treatment, and have similar legal rights, as creditors (including
depositors) who are located or payable in the foreign jurisdiction concerned;
(d) recognition of, and
taking action in support of, the foreign resolution action (or the relevant part
of the foreign resolution action) would have material fiscal implications for
Jersey; or
(e) such recognition would be
unlawful under Article 7(1) of the Human
Rights (Jersey) Law 2000.
(3) The recognition of a foreign resolution
action (or any part of it) shall not prejudice the winding up of a bank under a
bank winding up order unless the winding up of the bank conflicts with the recognized
foreign resolution action, in which case the recognized foreign resolution
action shall take precedence.
(4) Where a foreign resolution instrument has
been made by the Authority under this Article which recognizes a foreign
resolution (or part of the foreign resolution action), such foreign resolution
action (or part of the foreign resolution action) shall produce the same legal
effects in Jersey as it would have produced had it been made under the law of
Jersey.
(5) For the purposes of supporting, or giving
full effect to, a recognized foreign resolution action, the Authority may exercise
one or more stabilization tools, or one or more stabilization powers.
(6) The Authority may make a foreign resolution
instrument which has effect in respect of a bank which is a subsidiary of a
foreign bank which recognizes a group resolution action whether or not it
carries out certain resolution actions under this Law on the entity in Jersey.
(7) A foreign resolution instrument may include
incidental, consequential or transitional provisions which may be general or
for specified purposes, cases or circumstances and may make different provision
for different purposes, cases or circumstances.
(8) As soon as reasonably practicable after the
making of a foreign resolution instrument under this Article, the requirements
of the foreign resolution instrument shall be complied with by the Authority.
(9) Any decision (including appropriate
rationale for such decision) to refuse to recognize a foreign resolution action,
to recognize a foreign resolution action only in part or to take independent
actions to resolve a bank which is a subsidiary of a foreign bank, shall be
communicated by the Authority clearly to the group concerned and to the
resolution authority in the group’s home jurisdiction (and relevant
jurisdiction, if appropriate).
PART 7
BANK WINDING UP
90 Grounds for application
for bank winding up order
(1) An application for an order for the winding
up of a bank may be made under Article 91 in respect of a bank on any of
the following grounds which will be considered by the Court in determining the
application in accordance with Articles 95 and 96 –
(a) the bank is unable, or
likely to become unable, to pay its debts;
(b) the winding up of the bank
would be in the public interest; or
(c) the winding up of the bank
would be fair.
(2) In paragraph (1) “fair”
means just and equitable.
91 Application for bank
winding up order
(1) An application for a bank winding up order
may be made to the Court by –
(a) the Authority;
(b) the Commission;
(c) the Minister; or
(d) a bank or any shareholder
or creditor of the bank.
(2) An
application for a bank winding up order under paragraph (1) –
(a) shall
be made in the form prescribed;
(b) shall be accompanied by an
affidavit of a representative of the applicant setting out the grounds for the
application;
(c) may, where relevant, be
accompanied by an affidavit of a representative of the Commission giving the
opinion of the Commission in relation to the bank continuing, or failing to continue,
to satisfy the Commission that it is a fit and proper person to be registered
to undertake deposit-taking business in accordance with Article 10(3)(a)
of the 1991 Law; and
(d) shall nominate one or
more persons to be appointed as a bank liquidator of the bank being wound up.
92 Notice of application
Where an application for a bank winding up order is made under
Article 91, the applicant shall, not less than 48 hours before the
making of the application, give notice of the application to –
(a) the Authority (if the
Authority is not the applicant);
(b) the bank;
(c) the Commission (if the
Commission is not the applicant);
(d) the Minister (if the
Minister is not the applicant);
(e) the Jersey Bank Depositors
Compensation Board; and
(f) the Viscount.
93 Right to be heard in proceedings for a bank winding up order
The following persons shall have the right to be heard (or to make
representations) at the proceedings for the granting of a bank winding up order –
(a) the applicant;
(b) the Authority;
(c) the Commission;
(d) the Minister;
(e) the Viscount;
(f) the Jersey Bank
Depositors Compensation Board;
(g) the bank or any shareholder
of the bank; and
(h) upon application to the
Court and with leave of the Court, other interested parties.
94 Restriction on bankruptcy
or winding up proceedings etc.
(1) Despite
any other rule of law to the contrary –
(a) the
right to take any proceedings in bankruptcy against a bank other than
proceedings to wind up a bank under this Part is barred; and
(b) the right to wind up a
bank under Article 155 of the Companies
(Jersey) Law 1991 is barred.
(2) The Court shall not grant a bank winding up
order on the application of a bank or any shareholder or creditor of a bank
unless with the consent of the Authority.
95 Decision of the Court
If an application for a bank winding up order is made to the Court
in accordance with this Part, the Court may –
(a) in accordance with
Articles 96 and 97, grant the application and make the bank winding up
order;
(b) adjourn the application (either
sine die
or to a specified date) on such terms as it deems fit; or
(c) dismiss the application.
96 Bank winding up order
(1) The Court
may grant an application for a bank winding up order made to the Court in
accordance with this Part and make a bank winding order –
(a) if the
Court is satisfied that –
(i) the
ground specified in Article 90(1)(a) or 90(1)(c) applies, and
(ii) having
regard to the timing and other relevant circumstances, it is not reasonably
likely (ignoring the stabilization powers), that any action will be taken by or
in respect of a bank that will prevent its failure or likely failure; or
(b) if the
Court is satisfied that the ground specified in Article 90(1)(b) applies.
(2) If an
application is made to the Court by the Authority for a bank winding up order
in accordance with this Part, the Court may grant the application and make a
bank winding order if the Court is satisfied that –
(a) the
ground referred to in Article 90(1)(a) applies;
(b) the
Authority has or intends to make a property transfer instrument in respect of a
bank under the sale of business tool or bridge bank tool; and
(c) the
residual bank is unable to pay its debts as they fall due or would become so as a result of the property transfer instrument that the
Authority intends to make.
97 Contents of bank winding
up order
A bank winding up order –
(a) shall name the persons appointed
as the bank liquidator in accordance with Article 98;
(b) shall specify the powers
of the bank liquidator set out in Article 104 and specify which of those
powers –
(i) may be exercised by the bank liquidator
without further reference to the Court or the bank liquidation committee,
(ii) may only be exercised by
the bank liquidator with the prior sanction of the bank liquidation committee,
and
(iii) may only be exercised by
the bank liquidator with the prior sanction of the Court;
(c) may
direct the manner in which the winding up of the bank is to be conducted (to
the extent that such direction is required in addition to the provisions of
this Law);
(d) shall
specify matters which must be reported to the bank
liquidation committee by the bank liquidator, including how often such matters
must be reported on; and
(e) may
make such provisions as the Court sees fit including such provisions to ensure
that the winding up of the bank is conducted in an orderly manner.
98 Appointment of bank liquidator
(1) The Court may, in accordance with this
Article, upon a nomination being made in an application under Article 91, appoint
the Viscount as the bank liquidator or 2 or more persons as bank liquidators and
may, upon reason being given, remove a person appointed as a bank liquidator in
a bank winding up and may appoint another.
(2) A person shall not be appointed as a bank liquidator
unless that person has consented to such appointment.
(3) Subject to paragraph (5), a person is not qualified for appointment as
a bank liquidator unless the person is an individual who is –
(a) a
member of –
(i) the
Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales,
(ii) the
Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland,
(iii) the
Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland, or
(iv) the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants;
(b) a licensed insolvency
practitioner in England and Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland; or
(c) appointed by the Court to
act as an insolvency practitioner in respect of an application made under Article 91.
(4) The
Viscount is by virtue of the Viscount’s office qualified for appointment as a
bank liquidator.
(5) A
person is disqualified from appointment as a bank liquidator if the person
is –
(a) an
officer, employee or auditor of the bank, or a partner or employee of such a
person; or
(b) a
person against whom an order under Article 78 of the Companies (Jersey) Law 1991 is in force.
(6) A
person is disqualified from appointment as a bank liquidator if the person
is disqualified under paragraph (5) for appointment as a liquidator of any
subsidiary or holding company of the bank or a subsidiary of the bank’s holding
company.
(7) A bank liquidator shall vacate office if
the bank liquidator ceases to be a person qualified to act as a bank
liquidator.
(8) A person who acts as a bank liquidator when
not qualified to do so shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable to
imprisonment for a term of 2 years and to a fine.
99 Objectives of a bank
liquidator in exercising his or her
duties
(1) In exercising his or her duties under this
Law, the objectives of a bank liquidator shall be –
(a) to work with the Jersey
Bank Depositors Compensation Board to ensure that as soon as reasonably
practicable each eligible depositor –
(i) has the relevant account transferred to
another bank, or
(ii) receives payment from
(or on behalf of) the Depositors Compensation Fund or from the bank liquidator
acting as the bank, if applicable, or from the deposit guarantee scheme of
another jurisdiction in which the bank has a branch, as applicable;
(b) in circumstances where
part of the business of the bank has been sold using the sale of business tool,
or transferred to a bridge bank using the bridge bank tool, to support the
transferee by ensuring the provision of such services and facilities by the
residual bank as are required to enable the transferee, in the opinion of the
Authority, to operate the transferred business effectively; and
(c) to wind up the affairs of
the bank so as to achieve the best result for the bank’s creditors as a whole.
(2) For the purposes of paragraph (1)(c),
“so as to achieve the best result for the bank’s creditors as a whole” shall
not necessarily be construed as meaning that the bank must be wound up quickly
for the benefit of its creditors.
(3) The objective –
(a) in paragraph (1)(a)
shall take precedence over the objectives in paragraph (1)(b) and (c); and
(b) the objective in
paragraph (1)(b) shall take precedence over the objective in
paragraph (1)(c),
but the bank liquidator shall be under a duty to begin working
towards all of the objectives, so far as practicable, immediately upon
appointment.
100 Persons appointed as bank liquidator
to act jointly and severally
Where 2 or more bank liquidators are appointed in respect of a bank
under Article 98, the powers and obligations granted to or imposed on a bank
liquidator under this Part shall be exercisable by them jointly and severally
such that they may act together or one may act without the other (and by doing
so will bind the other) in the exercise of their powers and obligations.
101 Bank liquidation committee
(1) On the making of a bank winding up order, a
bank liquidation committee shall be established, for the purpose of ensuring
that the bank liquidator properly exercises the functions of a bank liquidator
in accordance with this Part.
(2) The bank liquidation committee shall
comprise members who shall be representatives each nominated by and
representing one of the following –
(a) the Authority (who shall
be the chairman);
(b) the Commission;
(c) the Jersey Bank
Depositors Compensation Board; and
(d) the Minister.
(3) A body nominating a member as its
representative on the bank liquidation committee under paragraph (2) may
replace its member at any time or nominate a
person to be an alternate member to attend, in place of the member, meetings of
the bank liquidation committee if that member is for any reason unable to
attend.
(4) When attending meetings of the bank
liquidation committee, an alternate member shall for all purposes be deemed to
be a member of the bank liquidation committee.
(5) The bank
liquidator shall report to the bank liquidation committee about any matter as
the Court directs in the bank winding up order –
(a) on request;
(b) which the bank liquidator
thinks is likely to be of interest to the bank liquidation committee; or
(c) generally, at such
intervals as may be agreed between the bank liquidator and the bank liquidation
committee.
(6) A meeting of the bank liquidation committee
may be summoned –
(a) by any member of the bank
liquidation committee; or
(b) by the bank liquidator,
and in any event a meeting shall be held at least every 28 days
from the date of the winding up order until the final meeting of the bank
liquidation committee under Article 141.
(7) At a meeting of the bank liquidation
committee –
(a) at least 2 members
including a representative each of the Authority and Minister shall form a
quorum;
(b) the chairman shall
preside;
(c) each member shall have
one vote on each matter for deliberation;
(d) in the event of an
equality in the votes the chairman shall have a casting vote; and
(e) a member shall be treated
as being present in a meeting of the bank liquidation committee if, during the
meeting, either by way of telephone, a live television link, or video link or
otherwise, the member is able to hear all the other members in the meeting and
to be heard by all the other members in the meeting.
(8) The bank liquidation committee may –
(a) seek advice from the Viscount relating to the
winding up of a bank;
(b) co-opt the Viscount to attend a meeting of
the bank liquidation committee to give advice to the bank liquidation committee
on any matter relating to its functions but the Viscount shall not have the
right to vote at the meeting; or
(c) co-opt a person to attend a meeting of the
bank liquidation committee to give advice to the bank liquidation committee on
any matter relating to its functions but such person shall not have the right
to vote at the meeting.[5]
(9) As soon as reasonably practicable after its
establishment, the bank liquidation committee shall recommend the bank
liquidator to pursue –
(a) the objective specified
in Article 99(1)(a)(i);
(b) the objective specified
in Article 99(1)(a)(ii); or
(c) the objective specified
in Article 99(1)(a)(i) for a specified class of case and the objective specified
in Article 99(1)(a)(ii) for another.
(10) In making a recommendation under
paragraph (9), the bank liquidation committee shall consider –
(a) the desirability of
achieving the objective specified in Article 99(1)(a)(i) or (ii) as
quickly as possible;
(b) the need for the
provision of services and facilities in circumstances where the objective specified
in Article 99(1)(b) is relevant; and
(c) the objective specified
in Article 99(1)(c).
(11) If the bank liquidation committee thinks
that the bank liquidator is failing to comply with the bank liquidation
committee’s recommendation made under paragraph (9), the bank liquidation
committee may apply to the Court for directions seeking confirmation, reversal
or modification of the acts or decisions of the bank liquidator and the Court
may make such consequential order as it thinks fit.
(12) If the bank liquidation committee has not
made a recommendation under paragraph (9), the bank liquidator may apply
to the Court under paragraph (19) and the Court may, in particular, give a
direction, in lieu of a recommendation, if the bank liquidation committee fails
to make a recommendation within a period set by the Court.
(13) The bank liquidator shall –
(a) keep the bank liquidation
committee informed of progress towards the objective specified in
Article 99(1)(a)(i) or (ii);
(b) notify the bank
liquidation committee when, in the bank liquidator’s opinion, the objective
specified in Article 99(1)(a)(i) or (ii) has been achieved entirely
so far as reasonably practicable, as the case may be;
(c) keep the bank liquidation
committee appraised of the ongoing provision of services and facilities in
accordance with the objective specified in Article 99(1)(b) and seek to
agree an appropriate timeline for the continuation, winding down or transfer to
a third party of the maintenance and provision of such services and facilities;
(d) notify the bank
liquidation committee when, in the bank liquidator’s opinion, the objective
specified in Article 99(1)(b) is no longer relevant because –
(i) the services and facilities which were
previously being provided to the transferee in accordance with the objective
specified in Article 99(1)(b) are no longer required by the transferee, or
(ii) the provision of the services
and facilities referred to in clause (i) has been transferred to a third
party; and
(e) report to the bank
liquidation committee in respect of any other matters which were specified by the
Court in the bank winding up order under Article 97(d).
(14) The bank liquidation committee shall oversee –
(a) each of the matters specified
in paragraph (13); and
(b) the bank liquidator
generally.
(15) As soon as reasonably practicable after
receiving a notification under paragraph (13)(b), the bank liquidation
committee shall –
(a) pass a resolution that the
objective specified in Article 99(1)(a)(i) or (ii) has been achieved
entirely or so far as reasonably practicable, as the case may be; or
(b) apply to the Court for
confirmation, reversal or modification of the acts or decisions of the bank
liquidator with respect to the objectives specified in Article 99(1)(a)
and the Court may make such consequential order as it thinks fit.
(16) As soon as reasonably practicable after
receiving a notification under paragraph (13)(d), the bank liquidation
committee shall –
(a) pass a resolution that
the objective specified in Article 99(1)(b) is no longer relevant because
of the reasons set out at paragraph (13)(d); or
(b) apply to the Court for
confirmation, reversal or modification of the acts or decisions of the bank
liquidator with respect to the objective specified in Article 99(1)(b),
and the Court may make such consequential order as it thinks fit.
(17) Where a bank liquidation committee passes a
resolution under paragraph (15)(a) –
(a) the bank liquidator shall
summon a meeting of creditors;
(b) subject to
sub-paragraph (c), the meeting of creditors shall elect an individual as a
new member of the bank liquidation committee to represent the interests of
creditors; and
(c) the person representing
the Jersey Bank Depositors Compensation Board may, if that person considers it fit,
resign from the bank liquidation committee (in which case, a new member may be
elected under sub-paragraph (b)).
(18) Where a bank liquidation committee passes a
resolution under paragraph (16)(a), the bank liquidator shall summon a
meeting of creditors and –
(a) the meeting may elect
such number of additional individuals as the meeting sees fit as new members of
the bank liquidation committee to represent the interests of creditors; and
(b) the representatives of
the Authority, Commission, Minister and Viscount may, if they each individually
consider fit, resign from the bank liquidation committee.
(19) A person aggrieved by any action of the bank
liquidation committee before it has passed a resolution under
paragraph (15)(a) may apply to the Court, and the Court may make any order
as it thinks fit (including an order for the repayment of money).
(20) The Court may (whether on an application
under paragraph (19), on the application of the bank liquidator or
otherwise) make an order that the bank liquidation committee is to be treated
as having passed a resolution under paragraph (15)(a).
(21) If a bank liquidation committee fails to
comply with paragraph (15) or (16), the bank liquidator shall apply
to the Court –
(a) for an order under paragraph (19);
or
(b) for directions seeking
confirmation, reversal or modification of the acts or decisions of the bank
liquidation committee, and the Court may make such order as it thinks fit.
102 Commencement and taking
effect of bank winding up order
A bank winding up order shall commence and take effect from the date
that the bank winding up order is made.
103 Effects of bank winding up
order
(1) A
bank winding up order shall have the following general effects –
(a) in
the circumstances where the objective in Article 99(1)(b) is relevant, the
bank liquidator shall, at the request of the Authority, enter into an agreement
for the residual bank to provide services or facilities to the transferee, and –
(i) in
pursuing the objective in Article 99(1)(b), the bank liquidator shall have
regard to the terms of that or any other agreement entered into between the
residual bank and the transferee,
(ii) the
bank liquidator shall avoid action that is likely to prejudice performance by
the residual bank of its obligations in accordance with the terms referred to
in clause (i),
(iii) the
bank liquidator shall seek to ensure that an agreement referred to in
clause (i) provides for consideration to be paid at market rate, although
this shall not prevent the bank liquidator from entering into an agreement on
any terms that the bank liquidator thinks necessary in pursuit of the objective
in Article 99(1)(b),
(iv) if
in doubt about the effect of the terms referred to in this paragraph or their
interplay with the bank winding up in general, the bank liquidator may apply to
the Court for directions, and
(v) the
transferee may apply to the Court for directions about any dispute or
disagreement with the residual bank;
(b) a
lien or other right to retain possession of a record of the bank shall be unenforceable
to the extent that its enforcement would deny possession of the record to the
bank liquidator;
(c) all
the powers of the directors of the bank shall cease, except so far as the
liquidation committee sanction their continuance;
(d) no
action shall be taken or proceeded with against the bank or its property except
by leave of the Court and subject to such terms as the Court may impose;
(e) despite
anything to the contrary in the Judgments (Reciprocal
Enforcement) (Jersey) Law 1960, no application shall be
made for a judgment, against the bank, to be registered
in the Court under that Law and if made, shall not be
registered or enforceable under that Law;
(f) no
execution in Jersey of any existing judgment in Jersey or outside Jersey
against the bank shall be made;
(g) the
corporate state and capacity of the bank shall continue until the bank is
dissolved;
(h) subject
to paragraph (3), any transfer of shares, not being a transfer made to or
with the sanction of the bank liquidator, and any alteration in the status of
the bank’s shareholders made after the commencement of the bank winding up
order shall, unless the Court otherwise orders, be void;
(i) any
disposition of the bank’s property made after the commencement of the bank winding
up order shall, unless the Court otherwise orders, be void, excluding any
disposition made with the consent of the bank liquidator; and
(j) any
attachment, sequestration, distress or execution put in force against the
estate or effects of the bank after the commencement of the bank winding up
order, shall be void.
(2) Paragraph (1)(b)
shall not apply to a lien on a document that gives a title to property and is
held as such.
(3) Paragraph (1)(h)
shall not prohibit any transfer of shares made pursuant to a power under the Security Interests (Jersey) Law 1983 or Part 7 of the Security Interests (Jersey) Law 2012, even if such transfer is not made to, or with the sanction of, the
bank liquidator.
104 Powers of bank liquidator
Subject to Article 97(b), the bank
liquidator, with the approval of the Court or the bank liquidation committee as
specified in the bank winding up order, shall have the power –
(a) to do anything reasonably
necessary or expedient for the pursuit of the objectives specified in
Article 99;
(b) to call a meeting of
creditors;
(c) to publish such notices
as the bank liquidator deems necessary or expedient with a view to inviting
claims;
(d) to require the bank or
any of its officers, employees or auditors to provide the bank liquidator with
such information, including by inspection of books, papers and records, and to
give such other assistance to the bank liquidator, as the bank liquidator may
reasonably require for the purposes of carrying out his or her functions in relation
to the bank winding up;
(e) to require directors,
senior managers and officers, and former directors, former senior managers and
former officers of the bank to make a statement as to the affairs of the bank
and, if requested, to verify the same by affidavit;
(f) to apply the rules
referred to in Article 111;
(g) to pay a class of
creditors in full (even if any other class is not repaid in full) and
compromise any claim by or against the bank;
(h) to comply with a request
of the Jersey Bank Depositors Compensation Board for the provision of
information and to provide any information to the Jersey Bank Depositors
Compensation Board which the bank liquidator thinks might be useful for the
purpose of cooperating in pursuit of the objectives specified in Article 99(1)(a);
(i) to exercise any of the
powers of the bank as may be required for its orderly winding up, including but
not limited to carrying on its business (including continuing to provide
services and advice to clients), transferring its business to another legal
person, the making of payments, assigning rights and interests, borrowing,
charging assets, incurring liabilities in the ordinary course of its business,
settling litigation issues faced by the bank, and progressing litigation in
which the bank is the pursuer;
(j) in circumstances where
Article 99(1)(b) is relevant, to support the transferee by continuing to
supply such services and facilities as are required to enable the transferee,
in the opinion of the Authority, to operate the transferred business
effectively;
(k) to continue any other
regulated activities undertaken by the bank and its subsidiary entities in
conjunction with any existing professional advisers and employees of the bank
as the bank liquidator considers appropriate for the bank’s orderly winding up,
having regard to the views and actions of the participants or clients of such
activities and to the views of the Commission and any other interested party;
(l) to exercise all such
powers as would ordinarily be exercisable by the directors of any regulated
subsidiary entities or asset management entities of the bank being wound up,
for the purposes of enabling such entity to continue managing or advising,
acting as general partner, trustee, custodian or investment adviser of, or
carrying on any other financial services business in respect of, any
investments or regulated activities as the bank liquidator considers
appropriate for the bank’s orderly winding up;
(m) in consultation with the Commission
and the Joint Financial Crimes Unit of the States Police Force, to investigate
such matters that might be to the benefit of the creditors or shareholders, or
in the public interest, subject to applying to the Court for directions if a
conflict of interest arises, as set out at Article 108(1);
(n) to settle a list of
contributories (and the list of contributories is prima facie evidence of the
persons named in it to be contributories);
(o) on application to, and
with the approval of the Court, to order that a contributory identified in the
list under paragraph (n) shall pay any money due from the contributory (or
from the estate of the person who the contributory represents) to the bank, excluding
any money payable by him or her or the estate by virtue of any call (without
prejudice to any right of set-off available to the contributory, excluding any
money due to him or her as a member of the bank in respect of any dividend or
profit);
(p) to make calls;
(q) to summon a general
meeting of the bank for the purpose of obtaining its sanction by special
resolution or for any other purpose the bank liquidator may think fit;
(r) to disclaim onerous
property under Articles 105 and 106 as the bank liquidator may think fit;
(s) to charge the bank
liquidator’s remuneration, and any costs, charges and expenses properly
incurred in a bank winding up, out of the bank’s assets in accordance with
Article 108(7);
(t) to engage such
professional advisers as the bank liquidator may deem appropriate or necessary
and for the cost and expenses for using such advisers to be payable in
accordance with Article 108(7);
(u) to
employ, retain, pay and manage employees of the bank;
(v) to effect and maintain
insurances in respect of the business and property of the bank;
(w) to do all such things
(including the carrying out of works) as may be necessary for the realisation
of the property of the bank;
(x) to make any payment which
is necessary or incidental to the performance of the bank liquidator’s
functions;
(y) to
apply to the Court for the determination of a question arising in the bank
winding up, or for the Court to exercise any of its powers in relation to the
bank winding up;
(z) to apply to the Court for
additional powers or amendment of the bank liquidator’s powers and for the sanctioning
or ratification of any of his or her acts or omissions;
(aa) to transfer trust property
of a trust held by the bank in its capacity as trustee of the trust to another
trustee appointed and substituted as trustee of that trust in accordance with
the applicable law and the trust instrument;
(ab) to exercise all such powers
as would ordinarily be exercisable by the directors and employees of the bank
to continue the regulated activities of the bank as the bank liquidator
considers appropriate including the making of applications to the Commission in
respect of those regulated activities; and
(ac) to exercise any other powers
conferred on a bank liquidator under this Law.
105 Power to disclaim onerous
property
(1) For
the purpose of this Article “onerous property” means –
(a) movable
property;
(b) a
contract lease;
(c) immovable
property if it is situated outside Jersey,
that is unsaleable or not
readily saleable or is such that it may give rise to a liability to pay money
or perform any other onerous act, and includes an unprofitable contract.
(2) The
bank liquidator may, within 6 months after the commencement of a bank
winding up order, by the giving of notice signed by him or her and referring to
this Article and Article 107 to each person who is interested in or under
any liability in respect of the property disclaimed, disclaim on behalf of the
bank any onerous property of the bank.
(3) A
disclaimer under this Article shall –
(a) operate
so as to determine, as from the date of the disclaimer, the rights, interests
and liabilities of the bank in or in respect of the property disclaimed; and
(b) discharge the bank from all liability in respect of the property
as from the date of the commencement of the bank winding up order,
but shall not, except so
far as necessary for the purpose of releasing the bank from liability, affect
the rights or liabilities of any other person.
(4) A
person sustaining loss or damage in consequence of the operation of a
disclaimer under this Article shall be deemed to be a creditor of the bank to
the extent of the loss or damage and accordingly may prove for the loss or
damage in the winding up.
106 Disclaimer of contract
leases
(1) The
disclaimer of a contract lease under Article 105 does not take effect
unless a copy of the disclaimer has been served (so far as the bank liquidator
is aware of their addresses) on every person claiming under the bank as a
hypothecary creditor or under lessee and either –
(a) no
application under Article 107 has been made with respect to the contract
lease before the end of the period of 14 days beginning with the day on
which the last notice under this paragraph was served; or
(b) where
an application referred to in sub-paragraph (1) has been made, the Court
directs that the disclaimer is to have effect.
(2) Where
the Court gives a direction under paragraph (1)(b) it may also, instead of
or in addition to any order it makes under Article 107, make such orders
with respect to fixtures, tenant’s improvements and other matters arising out
of the lease as it thinks fit.
107 Powers of Court in respect
of disclaimed property
(1) This
Article applies where the bank liquidator of a bank has disclaimed property under
Article 105.
(2) An
application may be made to the Court under this Article by –
(a) any
person who claims an interest in the disclaimed property (which term shall be
taken to include, in the case of the disclaimer of a contract lease, a person
claiming under the bank as a hypothecary creditor or an under lessee); or
(b) any
person who is under any liability in respect of the disclaimed property (which
term shall be taken to include a guarantor), not being a liability discharged
by the disclaimer.
(3) Subject
to paragraph (4), the Court may, on an application under this Article,
make an order on such terms as it thinks fit for the vesting of the disclaimed
property in, or for its delivery to –
(a) a
person entitled to it or a trustee for such a person; or
(b) a
person subject to a liability mentioned in paragraph (2)(b) or a trustee
for such a person.
(4) The
Court shall not make an order by virtue of paragraph (3)(b) except where
it appears to the Court that it would be just to do so for the purpose of compensating
the person subject to the liability in respect of the disclaimer.
(5) The
effect of an order under this Article shall be taken into account in assessing
for the purpose of Article 105(4) the extent of loss or damage sustained
by a person in consequence of the disclaimer.
108 General provisions relating
to bank winding up
(1) A bank liquidator may
at any time apply to the Court for further directions upon giving notice to all
interested parties and, in particular, a bank liquidator may
apply to the Court for directions if the bank liquidator finds himself or
herself in a position of conflict in the course of a bank winding up as between
the interests of (in no particular order of priority) –
(a) the creditors;
(b) the shareholders;
(c) the depositors;
(d) the investors in any
investment business activities, or the settlors or beneficiaries of any trust
company business activities, conducted by the bank or its subsidiaries;
(e) the States;
(f) the Depositors
Compensation Fund;
(g) the Commission;
(h) the Joint Financial
Crimes Unit of the States Police Force; or
(i) any other interested
parties.
(2) A bank winding up order shall be delivered
by the bank liquidator to the Registrar within 14 days after it is made,
and the Registrar shall record the bank winding up order in the file of the
bank so that it may be publicly accessible when he or she receives it.
(3) Where a bank liquidator fails to comply
with the requirement to deliver a bank winding up order to the Registrar within
14 days, the bank liquidator shall be guilty of an offence.
(4) In circumstances where the objective
specified in Article 99(1)(b) is applicable, the bank winding up order
shall provide guidance in relation to the extent of the support that the
liquidator must give to the transferee.
(5) The
objective specified in Article 99(1)(b) shall cease to apply where the
Authority notifies the bank liquidator that the residual bank is no longer
required in connection with the sale of business tool or the bridge bank tool.
(6) If
the bank liquidator is of the view that the objective specified in
Article 99(1)(b) has ceased, the bank liquidator may apply to Court for
directions, and the Court may direct the Authority to notify the bank
liquidator that the residual bank is no longer required.
(7) A
bank liquidator shall receive such remuneration, and costs, charges and
expenses properly incurred in a bank winding up, as is agreed between the bank
liquidator and the liquidation committee or, failing agreement between the bank
liquidator and the bank liquidation committee, as is fixed by the Court.
(8) All monies (including social security,
pensions and redundancy payments) due and payable to employees of the bank
being wound up, in respect of services so rendered after the commencement of
the bank winding up order in accordance with their respective contracts of
employment as varied, with effect from the date of the bank winding up order, shall
be deemed to be expenses of the bank winding up and shall be paid by the bank
liquidator as it thinks fit.
109 Termination of office of
bank liquidator
(1) A bank liquidator appointed by a bank winding
up order shall remain in office until vacating office –
(a) by resigning under paragraph (2);
(b) by
being removed by the Court under paragraph (3)(a) or by the creditors of
the bank under paragraph (4);
(c) on disqualification under
paragraph (5);
(d) on being replaced;
(e) on completing the final
dissolution of the bank under Article 141;
(f) if the bank liquidator
is unable by reason of illness or other reason to fulfil his or her duties
under this Law for more than 3 months; or
(g) on his or her death.
(2) A bank liquidator may resign by giving one
months’ notice to the Court.
(3) The applicant for the bank winding up order,
or the liquidation committee, may at any time apply to the Court for, and the
Court may at any time make an order –
(a) for
the removal of a bank liquidator (and, if appropriate, the appointment of
another bank liquidator); or
(b) if a vacancy occurs, by
death, resignation or otherwise, in the office of a liquidator, to fill the
vacancy.
(4) A bank liquidator may be removed by
resolution of the creditors if the following conditions are met –
(a) the
bank liquidation committee has passed a resolution under
Article 101(15)(a);
(b) the
notice given to the creditors of the meeting includes notice of intention to
move a resolution for the removal of one or more bank liquidators; and
(c) the
applicant for the bank winding up order and the bank liquidation committee –
(i) receive
notice of the meeting, and
(ii) are
given an opportunity to make representations to it,
and a bank liquidator who
is so removed under this paragraph shall be released from his duties under this
Law with effect from the time at which the Court is informed of his or her
removal.
(5) A
bank liquidator shall be deemed to have vacated his or her office immediately
if he or she ceases to be qualified to hold the office.
(6) A
person who gives or agrees to give to any person any valuable benefit with a
view to securing his or her own appointment or nomination, or to securing or
preventing the appointment or nomination of some person other than himself or
herself, as the bank’s liquidator, shall be guilty of an offence
and liable to imprisonment for a term of 2 years and to a fine.
110 Notification by bank liquidator
of resignation etc.
(1) A
bank liquidator who resigns, is removed or for any other reason vacates office
shall, within 14 days after the resignation, removal or vacation of office
give notice thereof, signed by the bank liquidator, to the Registrar and the
applicant for the bank winding up order.
(2) A
bank liquidator who fails to comply with paragraph (1) shall be guilty of
an offence and liable to a fine.
111 Application of the law
relating to désastre
Subject to this Law, in a
bank winding up the same rules prevail with regard to the time and manner of
proving debts, to the admission and rejection of proofs of debts and to setting
off debts as are in force for the time being with respect to persons against
whom a declaration has been made under the Bankruptcy (Désastre)
(Jersey) Law 1990, with the substitution of
references to the bank winding up for references to the désastre and references to the bank liquidator for references to the
Viscount.
112 Bank liquidator to pay
debts and adjust rights of contributories
The bank liquidator shall
pay the bank’s debts and adjust the rights of the contributories among the
contributories.
113 Rescission of contracts by the
Court
(1) On
the application of a person who is, as against the bank liquidator, entitled to
the benefit or subject to the burden of a contract made with the bank, the
Court may make an order rescinding the contract on such terms as to payment by
or to either party of damages for the non-performance of the contract, or
otherwise as the Court thinks just.
(2) Any
damages payable to a person under the order made under paragraph (1) may
be proved by the person as a debt in the bank winding up.
114 Transactions at an
undervalue
(1) If
a bank has at a relevant time in accordance with paragraph (8) entered
into a transaction with a person at an undervalue, the Court may, on the
application of the bank liquidator in a bank winding up, make such an order as
the Court thinks fit for restoring the position to what it would have been if
the bank had not entered into the transaction.
(2) The
Court shall not make an order under paragraph (1) if it is
satisfied –
(a) that
the bank entered into the transaction in good faith for the purpose of carrying
on its business; and
(b) that,
at the time it entered into the transaction, there were reasonable grounds for
believing that the transaction would be of benefit to the bank.
(3) Without
prejudice to the generality of paragraph (1) but subject to
paragraph (5), an order made under paragraph (1) may do all or any of
the following things, namely –
(a) require
property transferred as part of the transaction to be vested in the bank;
(b) require
property to be so vested if it represents in a person’s hands the application
either of the proceeds of sale of property so transferred or of money so
transferred;
(c) release
or discharge (in whole or in part) security given by the bank;
(d) require
a person to pay, in respect of a benefit received by him or her from the bank,
such sum to the bank as the Court directs;
(e) provide
for a surety or guarantor, whose obligation to a person was released or
discharged (in whole or in part) under the transaction, to be under such new or
revived obligation to that person as the Court thinks appropriate;
(f) provide –
(i) for
security to be provided for the discharge of an obligation imposed by or
arising under the order,
(ii) for
the obligation to be secured on any property, and
(iii) for
the security to have the same priority as the security released or discharged
(in whole or in part) under the transaction;
(g) provide
for the extent to which a person –
(i) whose
property is vested in the bank by the order, or
(ii) on
whom an obligation is imposed by the order,
is to be able to prove in
the bank winding up for debts or other liabilities that arose from, or were
released or discharged (in whole or in part) under or by, the transaction.
(4) Except
to the extent provided by paragraph (5), an order made under
paragraph (1) may affect the property of, or impose an obligation on, any
person, whether or not he or she is the person with whom the bank entered into
the transaction.
(5) An
order made under paragraph (1) –
(a) shall
not prejudice an interest in property that was acquired from a person other
than the bank and was acquired in good faith and for value, or prejudice any
interest deriving from such an interest; and
(b) shall
not require a person who in good faith and for value received a benefit from
the transaction to pay a sum to the bank, except where the person was a party
to the transaction.
(6) In
considering for the purposes of this Article whether a person has acted in good
faith, the Court may take into consideration –
(a) whether
the person was aware –
(i) that
the bank had entered into a transaction at an undervalue, and
(ii) that
the bank was insolvent or would, as a likely result of entering into the
transaction, become insolvent; and
(b) whether
the person was an associate of or was connected with either the bank or the
person with whom the bank had entered into the transaction.
(7) For
the purposes of this Article, a bank enters into a transaction with a person at
an undervalue if –
(a) it
makes a gift to that person;
(b) it
enters into a transaction with that person –
(i) on
terms for which there is no cause, or
(ii) for
a cause the value of which, in money or money’s worth, is significantly
less than the value, in money or money’s worth, of the cause provided by the bank.
(8) Subject
to paragraphs (9) and (10), the time at which a bank entered into a
transaction at an undervalue is a relevant time for the purpose of paragraph (1)
if the transaction was entered into during the period of 5 years
immediately preceding the date of commencement of the bank winding up order.
(9) The
time to which paragraph (8) refers is not a relevant time unless –
(a) the
bank was insolvent when it entered into the transaction; or
(b) the
bank became insolvent as a result of the transaction.
(10) If
the transaction at an undervalue was entered into with a person connected with
the bank or with an associate of the bank, paragraph (9) does not apply
and the time to which paragraph (8) refers is a relevant time unless it is
proved that –
(a) the
bank was not insolvent when it entered into the transaction; and
(b) the
bank did not become insolvent as a result of the transaction.
115 Giving of preferences
(1) If
a bank has at a relevant time given a preference to a person, the Court may, on
the application of the bank liquidator in a bank winding up, make such an order
as the Court thinks fit for restoring the position to what it would have been
if the preference had not been given.
(2) Without
prejudice to the generality of paragraph (1), but subject to
paragraph (4), an order made under paragraph (1) may do all or any of
the following things, namely –
(a) require
property to be transferred in connection with the giving of the preference to
be vested in the bank;
(b) require
property to be vested in the bank if it represents in any person’s hands the
application either of the proceeds of sale of property so transferred or of
money so transferred;
(c) release
or discharge (in whole or in part) security given by the bank;
(d) require
a person to pay in respect of a benefit received by him or her from the bank
such sum to the bank as the Court directs;
(e) provide
for a surety or guarantor, whose obligation to a person was released or
discharged (in whole or in part) by the giving of the preference, to be under
such new or revived obligation to that person as the Court thinks appropriate;
(f) provide –
(i) for
security to be provided for the discharge of any obligation imposed by or
arising under the order,
(ii) for
such an obligation to be secured on any property, and
(iii) for
the security to have the same priority as the security released or discharged
(in whole or in part) by the giving of the preference;
(g) provide
for the extent to which a person –
(i) whose
property is vested by the order in the bank, or
(ii) on
whom obligations are imposed by the order,
is to be able to prove in
the winding up of the bank for debts or other liabilities that arose from, or
were released or discharged (in whole or in part) under or by the giving of the
preference.
(3) Except
as provided by paragraph (4), an order made under paragraph (1) may
affect the property of, or impose an obligation on, any person whether or not
he or she is the person to whom the preference was given.
(4) An
order made under paragraph (1) shall not –
(a) prejudice
an interest in property that was acquired from a person other than the bank and
was acquired in good faith and for value, or prejudice any interest deriving
from such an interest; or
(b) require
a person who in good faith and for value received a benefit from the preference
to pay a sum to the bank, except where the payment is in respect of a
preference given to that person at a time when he or she was a creditor of the
bank.
(5) In
considering for the purpose of this Article whether a person has acted in good
faith, the Court may take into consideration –
(a) whether
the person had notice –
(i) of
the circumstances that amounted to the giving of the preference by the bank,
and
(ii) of
the fact that the bank was insolvent or would, as a likely result of giving the
preference, become insolvent; and
(b) whether
the person was an associate of or was connected with either the bank or the person
to whom the bank gave the preference.
(6) For
the purposes of this Article, a bank gives a preference to a person if –
(a) the
person is a creditor of the bank or a surety or guarantor for a debt or other
liability of the bank; and
(b) the
bank –
(i) does
anything, or
(ii) suffers
anything to be done,
that has the effect of
putting the person into a position which, in the event of the winding up of the
bank, would be better than the position he or she would have been in if that
thing had not been done.
(7) The
Court shall not make an order under this Article in respect of a preference
given to a person unless the bank, when giving the preference, was influenced
in deciding to give the preference by a desire to put the person into a
position which, in the event of the winding up of the bank, would be better
than the position in which the person would be if the preference had not been
given.
(8) A
bank that gave a preference to a person who was, at the time the preference was
given, an associate of or connected with the bank (otherwise than by reason
only of being the bank’s employee) shall be presumed, unless the contrary is
shown, to have been influenced in deciding to give the preference by the desire
mentioned in paragraph (7).
(9) Subject
to paragraphs (10) and (11), the time at which a bank gives a preference
is a relevant time for the purpose of paragraph (1) if the preference was
given during the period of 12 months immediately preceding the
commencement of the bank winding up order.
(10) The
time to which paragraph (9) refers is not a relevant time unless –
(a) the
bank was insolvent at the time the preference was given; or
(b) the
bank became insolvent as a result of giving the preference.
(11) If
the preference was given to a person connected with the bank or to an associate
of the bank, paragraph (10) does not apply and the time to which
paragraph (9) refers is a relevant time unless it is proved that –
(a) the
bank was not insolvent at the time the preference was given; and
(b) the
bank did not become insolvent as a result of the preference being given.
116 Definitions relating to
transactions at an undervalue and preferences
(1) For
the purposes of Articles 114 and 115, a person is connected with a
bank if –
(a) he
or she is a director of the bank;
(b) he
or she is an associate of a director of the bank; or
(c) he
or she is an associate of the bank.
(2) For
the purposes of Articles 114 and 115 and of this Article –
(a) a
person is an associate of an individual if that person is the individual’s
husband or wife or civil partner, or is a relative, or the husband or wife or
civil partner of a relative, of the individual or of the individual’s husband
or wife or civil partner;
(b) a
person is an associate of any person with whom he or she is in partnership, and
of the husband or wife or civil partner or a relative of any individual with
whom he or she is in partnership;
(c) a
person is an associate of any person whom he or she employs or by whom he or
she is employed;
(d) a
person in his or her capacity as a trustee of a trust is an associate of
another person if –
(i) the
beneficiaries of the trust include that other person or an associate of that
other person, or
(ii) the
terms of the trust confer a power that may be exercised for the benefit of that
other person or an associate of that other person;
(e) a
bank is an associate of another bank –
(i) if
the same person has control of both banks, or a person has control of one bank
and either persons who are his or her associates, or he or she and persons who
are his or her associates, have control of the other bank, or
(ii) if
each bank is controlled by a group of 2 or more persons and the groups either
consist of the same persons or could be regarded as consisting of the same
persons by treating (in one or more cases) a member of either group as replaced
by a person of whom he or she is an associate;
(f) a
bank is an associate of another person if that person has control of the bank
or if that person and persons who are his or her associates together have
control of the bank; and
(g) a
provision that a person is an associate of another person shall be taken to
mean that they are associates of each other.
(3) For
the purposes of this Article, a person is a relative of an individual if he or
she is that individual’s brother, sister, uncle, aunt, nephew, niece, lineal
ancestor or lineal descendant, for which purpose –
(a) any
relationship of the half-blood shall be treated as a relationship of the whole
blood and the stepchild or adopted child of a person as his or her child; and
(b) an
illegitimate child shall be treated as the legitimate child of his or her
mother and reputed father.
(4) References
in this Article to a husband or wife or civil partner include a former husband
or wife or civil partner and a reputed husband or wife or civil partner.
(5) For
the purposes of this Article, a director or other officer of a bank shall be
treated as employed by the bank.
(6) For
the purposes of this Article, a person shall be taken as having control of a
bank if –
(a) the
directors of the bank or of another person that has control of it (or any of
them) are accustomed to act in accordance with his or her directions or
instructions; or
(b) he
or she is entitled –
(i) to
exercise, or
(ii) to
control the exercise of,
more than one third of the
voting power at any general meeting of the bank or of another person which has
control of it,
and where 2 or more persons
together satisfy either of the above conditions, they shall be taken as having
control of the bank.
117 Responsibility of persons
for wrongful trading
(1) Subject
to paragraph (3), if in the course of a bank winding up it appears that
paragraph (2) applies in relation to a person who is or has been a
director of the bank, the Court on the application of the bank liquidator may,
if the Court thinks it proper to do so, order that that person shall be
personally responsible, without any limitation of liability, for all or any of
the debts or other liabilities of the bank arising after the time referred to
in paragraph (2).
(2) This
paragraph applies in relation to a person if at a time before the date of
commencement of the bank winding up order that person as a director of the
bank –
(a) knew
that there was no reasonable prospect that the bank would avoid insolvency
proceedings; or
(b) on
the facts known to him or her was reckless as to whether the bank would avoid
such insolvency proceedings.
(3) The
Court shall not make an order under paragraph (1) with respect to a person
if it is satisfied that after either condition specified in paragraph (2)
was first satisfied in relation to him or her the person took reasonable steps
with a view to minimising the potential loss to the bank’s creditors.
(4) On
the hearing of an application under this Article, the bank liquidator may
himself or herself give evidence or call witnesses.
118 Responsibility for
fraudulent trading
(1) If,
in the course of a bank winding up, it appears that any business of the bank
has been carried on with intent to defraud creditors of the bank or creditors
of another person, or for a fraudulent purpose, the Court may, on the
application of the bank liquidator, order that persons who were knowingly
parties to the carrying on of the business in that manner are to be liable to
make such contributions to the bank’s assets as the Court thinks proper.
(2) On
the hearing of the application, the bank liquidator may himself or herself give
evidence or call witnesses.
(3) Where
the Court makes an order under this Article or Article 117, it may give
such further directions as it thinks proper for giving effect to the order.
(4) Where
the Court makes an order under this Article or Article 117 in relation to
a person who is a creditor of the bank, it may direct that the whole or part of
a debt owed by the bank to that person and any interest thereon shall rank in
priority after all other debts owed by the bank and after any interest on those
debts.
(5) This
Article and Article 117 have effect whether or not that the person
concerned may be criminally liable in respect of matters on the ground of which
the order under paragraph (1) is to be made.
119 Extortionate credit
transactions
(1) This
Article applies in a bank winding up where the bank is, or has been, a party to
a transaction for, or involving, the provision of credit to the bank.
(2) The
Court may, on the application of the bank liquidator, make an order with
respect to the transaction referred to in paragraph (1) if the
transaction –
(a) is
or was extortionate; and
(b) was
entered into in the period of 3 years ending with the commencement of the
bank winding up order.
(3) For
the purposes of this Article, a transaction is extortionate if, having regard
to the risk accepted by the person providing the credit –
(a) the
terms of it are such as to require grossly exorbitant payments to be made
(whether unconditionally or in certain contingencies) in respect of the
provision of the credit; or
(b) it
otherwise grossly contravened ordinary principles of fair dealing.
(4) It
shall be presumed, unless the contrary is proved, that a transaction with
respect to which an application is made under this Article is or, as the case
may be, was extortionate.
(5) An
order under this Article with respect to a transaction may contain one or more
of the following as the Court thinks fit –
(a) a
provision setting aside the whole or part of an obligation created by the
transaction;
(b) a
provision otherwise varying the terms of the transaction or varying the terms
on which a security for the purposes of the transaction is held;
(c) a
provision requiring a person who is or was a party to the transaction to pay to
the bank liquidator sums paid to that person, by virtue of the transaction, by
the bank;
(d) a
provision requiring a person to surrender to the bank liquidator property held
by that person as security for the purposes of the transaction;
(e) a
provision directing accounts to be taken between any persons.
120 Delivery and seizure of
property
(1) Where
a person has in his or her possession or control property or records to which a
bank appears in a bank winding up to be entitled, the bank liquidator may
require that person forthwith (or within a period which bank liquidator may
direct) to pay, deliver, convey, surrender or transfer the property or records
to the bank liquidator.
(2) Where –
(a) the
bank liquidator seizes or disposes of property that is not property of the
bank; and
(b) at
the time of seizure or disposal the bank liquidator has reasonable grounds to
believe, that he or she is entitled (whether in pursuance of an order of the
Court or otherwise) to seize or dispose of that property,
the bank liquidator –
(i) is
not liable to any person in respect of loss or damage resulting from the
seizure or disposal except in so far as the loss or damage is caused by the
negligence of the bank liquidator, and
(ii) has
a lien on the property, or the proceeds of its sale, for expenses incurred in
connection with the seizure or disposal.
121 Liability in respect of
purchase or redemption of shares
(1) This
Article applies where a bank is being wound up in a bank winding up and –
(a) it
has within 12 months before the commencement of the winding up made a
payment under Article 55 or Article 57 of the Companies (Jersey)
Law 1991 in respect of the
redemption or purchase of its own shares;
(b) the
payment was not made lawfully; and
(c) the
aggregate realisable value of the bank’s assets and the amount paid by way of
contribution to its assets (apart from this Article) is not sufficient for the
payment of its liabilities and the expenses of the bank winding up.
(2) In
this Article, the amount of a payment that has not been made lawfully for the
purpose of the redemption or purchase is referred to as the “relevant payment”.
(3) Subject
to paragraphs (5) and (6), the Court on the application of the bank
liquidator may order –
(a) a
person from whom the shares were redeemed or purchased; or
(b) a
director,
to contribute in accordance
with this Article to the bank’s assets so as to enable the insufficiency to be
met.
(4) A
person from whom any shares were redeemed or purchased may be ordered to
contribute an amount not exceeding so much of the relevant payment as was made
in respect of his or her shares.
(5) A
person from whom shares were redeemed or purchased shall not be ordered to
contribute under this Article unless the Court is satisfied that, when he or
she received payment for his or her shares –
(a) he
or she knew; or
(b) he
or she ought to have concluded from the facts known to him or her,
that immediately after the
relevant payment was made the bank would be unable to discharge its liabilities
as they fell due, and that the realisable value of the bank’s assets would be
less than the aggregate of its liabilities.
(6) A
director who has expressed an opinion under Article 55(9) of the Companies (Jersey)
Law 1991 may be ordered, jointly
and severally with any other person who is liable to contribute under this
Article, to contribute an amount not exceeding the relevant payment, unless the
Court is satisfied that the director had grounds for the opinion expressed.
(7) Where
a person has contributed an amount under this Article, the Court may direct any
other person who is jointly and severally liable to contribute under this
Article to pay to him or her such amount as the Court thinks just and
reasonable.
(8) Article 131
does not apply in relation to liability accruing by virtue of this Article.
122 Resolutions passed at
adjourned meetings
Any resolution passed at an
adjourned meeting of a bank’s creditors shall be treated for all purposes as
having been passed on the date on which it was in fact passed, and not as
having been passed on any earlier date.
123 Duty to co-operate with
bank liquidator
(1) In
a bank winding up each of the persons mentioned in paragraph (2)
shall –
(a) give
the bank liquidator information concerning the bank and its promotion,
formation, business, dealings, affairs or property which the bank liquidator
may, at any time after the commencement of the bank winding up order,
reasonably require;
(b) attend
on the bank liquidator at reasonable times and on reasonable notice when
requested to do so; and
(c) notify
the bank liquidator in writing of any change of his or her address, employment,
or name.
(2) The
persons referred to in paragraph (1) are –
(a) those
who are, or have at any time been, officers of the bank or the secretary to the
bank;
(b) those
who have taken part in the formation of the bank at any time within
12 months before the commencement of the bank winding up order;
(c) those
who are in the employment of the bank, or have been in its employment within
those 12 months, and are in the bank liquidator’s opinion capable of
giving information which the bank liquidator requires; and
(d) those
who are, or within those 12 months have been, officers of, or in the
employment of, a body corporate that is, or within those 12 months was,
secretary to the bank and who are in the bank liquidator’s opinion capable of
giving information which the bank liquidator requires.
(3) For
the purposes of paragraph (2) “employment” shall be construed in
accordance with the Employment (Jersey)
Law 2003.
(4) A
person who, without reasonable excuse, fails to comply with an obligation
imposed by paragraph (1), is guilty of an offence and shall be liable to
imprisonment for a term of 6 months and to a fine.
124 Bank liquidator to report
possible misconduct
(1) The
bank liquidator shall take the action specified in paragraph (2) if it
appears to the bank liquidator in the course of a bank winding up –
(a) that
the bank has committed a criminal offence;
(b) that
a person has committed a criminal offence in relation to the bank being wound
up; or
(c) in
the case of a director, that for any reason (whether in relation to the bank
being wound up, or to a holding bank of the bank being wound up or to any
subsidiary of such a holding bank) his or her conduct has been such that an
order should be sought against him or her under Article 78 of the Companies (Jersey)
Law 1991.
(2) The
bank liquidator shall –
(a) forthwith
report the matter to the Attorney General; and
(b) furnish
the Attorney General with information and give the Attorney General access to,
and facilities for inspecting and taking copies of, documents (being
information or documents in the possession or under the control of the bank
liquidator and relating to the matter) as the Attorney General requires.
(3) Where
a report is made to the Attorney General under paragraph (2), the Attorney
General may refer the matter to the Minister or the Commission for further
enquiry.
(4) Upon
a matter being referred to the Minister or the Commission under
paragraph (3), the Minister or the Commission, as the case may be –
(a) shall
investigate the matter; and
(b) for
the purpose of the investigation may exercise any of the powers that are
exercisable by inspectors appointed under Article 128 of the Companies (Jersey)
Law 1991 to investigate a bank’s
affairs.
(5) If
it appears to the Court in the course of a bank winding up –
(a) that
the bank has committed a criminal offence;
(b) that
a person has committed a criminal offence in relation to the bank being wound
up; or
(c) in
the case of a director of the bank being wound up, that for any reason (whether
in relation to the bank being wound up, or to a holding bank of the bank being
wound up or of any subsidiary of such a holding bank) his or her conduct has
been such as to raise a question whether an order should be sought against him
or her under Article 78 of the Companies (Jersey)
Law 1991,
and that no report with
respect to the matter has been made by the bank liquidator to the Attorney
General under paragraph (2), the Court may (on the application of a person
interested in the winding up or of its own motion) direct the bank liquidator
to make such a report.
125 Obligations arising under Article 124
(1) For
the purpose of an investigation by the Minister or the Commission under Article 124,
an obligation imposed on a person by a provision of the Companies (Jersey)
Law 1991 to produce documents or
give information to, or otherwise to assist, inspectors appointed as mentioned
in that Law is to be regarded as an obligation similarly to assist the Minister
in his or her, or the Commission in its, investigation under Article 124.
(2) For the purposes of the investigation under
Article 124, the Minister or the Commission may examine on oath any such
person as is mentioned in paragraph (1), and may administer an oath
accordingly.
(3) An
answer given by a person to a question put to him or her in exercise of the
powers conferred by this Article may not be used in evidence against him or her
in any criminal proceedings except –
(a) proceedings
in which the person is charged with knowingly or recklessly making a false
statement in the course of being examined on oath under paragraph (2);
(b) proceedings
under Article 166; or
(c) proceedings
for contempt of court under Article 149(2).
(4) Where
criminal proceedings are instituted by the Attorney General following a report
or reference under Article 124, the bank liquidator and every officer,
employee and agent of the bank past and present (other than the defendant)
shall give the Attorney General any assistance in connection with the
prosecution which he or she is reasonably able to give.
(5) In
paragraph (4) “agent” includes a banker, advocate or solicitor of the bank
and a person employed by, or providing a service to, the bank as auditor,
whether or not that person is an officer of the bank.
(6) If
a person fails to give assistance as required by paragraph (4), the Court
may, on the application of the Attorney General –
(a) direct
the person to comply with that paragraph; and
(b) if
the application is made with respect to a bank liquidator, direct that the
costs shall be borne by the bank liquidator personally unless it appears that
the failure to comply was due to the fact that the bank liquidator did not have
sufficient assets of the bank in his or her hands to enable him or her to do
so.
126 Distribution of bank’s
property
(1) In a bank winding up the order of priority
for satisfaction of the liabilities of a bank shall be as provided in Article 30.
(2) Unless the constitutional documents of the
bank otherwise provide, any remaining property of the bank shall be distributed
among the shareholders according to their rights and interests in the bank.
(3) Despite the
paragraphs (1) and (2), if, in the course of a bank winding up the
bank liquidator is satisfied that the bank’s assets will be sufficient to
ensure that –
(a) the costs, charges and
expenses properly incurred in the bank winding up and any other resolution
actions may be paid; and
(b) the claims of all creditors
(including any interest owing on debt) may be satisfied,
the
bank liquidator may, before or after meeting some or all of those costs,
charges and expenses and satisfying some or all of the claims of the creditors,
distribute to the members of the bank, proportional to their rights or
interests, or otherwise as provided by the bank’s constitutional documents, so
much of the bank’s assets as shall not be required to meet those costs,
charges, expenses and claims.
(4) The Court may fix a time or times within
which creditors of the bank are to prove their debts or claims or to be
excluded from the benefit of any distribution made before those debts are
proved.
127 Interest on debts
(1) In a bank winding up interest shall be payable
in accordance with this Article on any debt proved in the bank winding up,
including so much of any such debt as represents interest on the remainder.
(2) Any surplus remaining after the payment of
the debts proved in the bank winding up shall, before being applied for any
other purpose, be applied in paying interest on those debts in respect of the
periods during which they have been outstanding since the commencement of the
bank winding up order in respect of the bank.
(3) All interest payable under this Article shall
rank equally, whether or not the debts on which it is payable rank equally.
(4) The interest payable under this Article in
respect of any debt shall be whichever is the greater of –
(a) the interest calculated
in accordance with the Interest
on Debts and Damages (Jersey) Law 1996;
and
(b) the interest calculated
in accordance with the rate applicable to that debt apart from the bank winding
up.
128 Enforcement of liquidator’s duty to make
returns, etc.
(1) If, in a bank winding up, the bank
liquidator defaults in delivering a document or in giving any notice which the
bank liquidator is by law required to deliver or give, and the defaulting bank
liquidator fails to make good the default within 14 days after the service
on the bank liquidator of a notice requiring the bank liquidator to do so,
paragraphs (2), (3) and (4) shall apply.
(2) On an application made by a creditor or
contributory of the bank, or by the Registrar, the Court may make an order
directing the bank liquidator to make good the default within the time
specified in the order.
(3) The Court’s order may provide that costs of
an application made under paragraph (2) and costs incidental to the
application shall be borne, in whole or in part, by the bank liquidator
personally.
(4) Nothing in this Article shall prejudice the
operation of any enactment imposing penalties on a bank liquidator in respect
of a default mentioned in such an enactment.
129 References to the Court
(1) A bank liquidator may apply to the Court
for a determination of any question arising in a bank winding up, or for the
Court to exercise any of its powers in relation to a bank winding up.
(2) The Court, if satisfied that it will be
just and beneficial to do so, may accede wholly or partially to an application under
paragraph (1) on such terms and conditions as it thinks fit, or make such
other order on the application as it thinks just.
(3) The Court may exercise all or any of the
powers that would have been exercisable by it or by the Viscount if a
declaration had been made in relation to a company under the Bankruptcy
(Désastre) (Jersey) Law 1990.
130 Notification that the bank
is in liquidation
(1) Every invoice, order for goods or services
or communication issued by or on behalf of a bank that is being wound up, or by
the bank liquidator, being a document on or in which the name of the bank
appears, shall contain a statement that the bank is in liquidation.
(2) In the event of failure to comply with paragraph (1),
the bank, a person acting by or on behalf of the bank or the bank liquidator shall
be guilty of an offence and liable to a fine.
131 Liability as contributories
of present and past members
(1) Except
as otherwise provided by this Article, where a bank is wound up, each present
and past member of the bank is liable to contribute to its assets to an amount
sufficient for payment of its liabilities, the expenses of the winding up, and
for the adjustment of the rights of the contributories among themselves.
(2) A past member of a bank of a particular
class is not, as a member of that class, liable to contribute –
(a) unless it appears to the
Court that the present members of that class are unable to satisfy the
contributions required to be made by them as such members;
(b) if he or she ceased to
be a member of that class for 12 months or more before the commencement of
the winding up; or
(c) in respect of a
liability of the bank contracted after he or she ceased to be a member of that
class.
(3) A past or present guarantor member of a
bank is not liable in that capacity to contribute unless it appears to the
Court that the past and present members in their capacity as the holders of
limited shares are unable to satisfy the contributions required to be made by
them as such members.
(4) A past or present member of a bank in his
or her capacity as the holder of an unlimited share is not liable to contribute
unless it appears to the Court that the past and present members in their
capacities as the holders of limited shares or as guarantor members are unable
to satisfy the contributions required to be made by them as such members.
(5) A contribution shall not be required from a
past or present member of a bank, as such a member, exceeding –
(a) any amount unpaid on any
limited shares in respect of which he or he is liable; or
(b) the amount undertaken to
be contributed by him or her to the assets of the bank if it were to be wound
up.
(6) A sum due to a member of the bank, in his
or her capacity as a member, by way of dividends, profits or otherwise is not
in a case of competition between himself or herself and any other creditor who
is not a member of the bank, a liability of the bank payable to that member,
but any such sum may be taken into account for the purpose of the final
adjustment of the rights of the contributors among themselves.
(7) In this Article “member” shall be construed
in accordance with Article 25 of the Companies (Jersey) Law 1991.
132 Retention and disposal of
records
(1) When
a bank has been wound up and dissolved, its records and those of a bank
liquidator and bank liquidation committee shall be retained by the bank, bank
liquidator or bank liquidation committee or a person to whom the records have
been committed for a period of at least 10 years after the bank’s
dissolution.
(2) After
10 years from the bank’s dissolution no responsibility rests on the bank,
a bank liquidator, the bank liquidation committee or a person to whom the
custody of the records has been committed, by reason of any record not being
forthcoming to a person claiming to be interested in it.
(3) A
person who contravenes paragraph (1) shall be guilty of an offence and
liable to a fine of level 3 on the standard scale.
133 Disclosure of information
by bank liquidator
(1) A bank liquidator may only use information
relating to the bank being wound up, its customers and its creditors for the
purpose of achieving the objectives specified in Article 99(1) and, in the
pursuit of those objectives, the bank liquidator may disclose such information
to a person or entity as appropriate, including a purchaser or potential
purchaser of all or part of the business of the bank, the Minister, the
Commission, the Jersey Bank Depositors Compensation Board, professional
advisers, and as otherwise may be permitted by the Data
Protection (Jersey) Law 2018.[6]
(2) A bank liquidator shall seek the approval
of the bank liquidation committee to disclose information referred to in
paragraph (1) for any purpose other than a purpose referred to in
paragraph (1), unless the disclosure of such
information is routinely required to facilitate the ongoing conduct of business
and the provision of services to depositors.
134 Inspection of bank’s books
etc. by court order
(1) The Court may at any time after making a bank
winding up order, make such order for inspection of the bank’s books and papers
by creditors and contributories as the Court thinks just and any books and
papers in the bank’s possession shall thereby be made available for inspection
by creditors and contributories accordingly, but not further or otherwise.
(2) Nothing in this Article shall exclude or
restrict any statutory rights of a Minister or a public authority in Jersey or
any person acting under such authority.
135 Bank’s books to be evidence
Where a bank is being wound up, all books and papers of the bank and
of the bank liquidator are treated, as between the contributories of the bank, as
prima facie evidence of the truth of all matters purporting to be recorded in
them.
136 Information as to pending liquidations
(1) If a bank winding up is not concluded
within one year after its commencement, the bank liquidator shall, at such
intervals as may be specified by the Court, until the bank winding up is
concluded, send to the Registrar a progress report with respect to the position
of the bank winding up, and the Registrar shall record such progress reports in
the register.
(2) A
bank liquidator who fails to comply with paragraph (1) shall be guilty of
an offence and liable to a fine of level 3 on the standard scale.[7]
137 Meetings to ascertain
wishes of creditors or contributories
Subject to the objectives specified in Article 99(1)(a), as to
all matters relating to a bank winding up, the Court shall have regard to the
wishes of the creditors or contributories (as proved to it by any sufficient
evidence), and –
(a) if it thinks fit, for the
purpose of ascertaining those wishes, direct meetings of the creditors or
contributories to be called, held and conducted in such manner as the Court
directs, and appoint a person to act as chairman of any such meeting and report
the result of it to the Court;
(b) in the case of creditors,
have regard to the value of each creditor’s debt; and
(c) in the case of
contributories, have regard the number of votes conferred on each contributory.
138 Power of bank liquidator to
act in respect of subsidiary
Where the bank liquidator exercises his or her power to act in
respect of a subsidiary of a bank being wound up which is, by virtue of the
insolvency of the bank being wound up, also insolvent, all of the provisions of
this Part shall also apply to that subsidiary.
139 Order for Jersey insolvency
law to apply
The Minister may by Order provide for any rule of law relating to
insolvency to be applied to a bank winding up.
140 Termination of bank winding
up
(1) The
bank liquidator may, with the authorization of the shareholders of the bank by
special resolution, apply to the Court for an order terminating the bank
winding up order if the bank liquidator is satisfied that the grounds for the
application under Article 90 are no longer met.
(2) The
Authority, the Commission, the Minister and the Viscount and upon notice to the
court, other interested parties, shall have a right to be heard (or to make
representations) at the proceedings for the termination of the bank winding up
order.
(3) The
Court shall in determining an application for the termination of bank winding
up order have regard to such matters as it thinks fit including –
(a) whether
or not –
(i) the
bank has received any contribution from any present or past member pursuant to Article 131,
or
(ii) the
bank has, for the purposes of the bank winding up, distributed any of its
assets among its shareholders; and
(b) the
views of the Authority, the Commission and the Minister.
(4) The
Court shall refuse the application unless it is satisfied that –
(a) the
bank is able to discharge its liabilities in full as they fall due;
(b) the
termination of the bank winding up order is in the public interest;
(c) the termination of the
bank winding up order has been approved by the bank liquidation committee; and
(d) the applicant for the
bank winding up order approves of the termination of the bank winding up order.
(5) Subject to paragraph (4), the Court
may make an order granting or refusing the termination of the bank winding up
order and may make such other order as the Court thinks fit.
(6) Upon the termination of a bank winding up
order any bank liquidator appointed for the purpose of the bank winding up
shall cease to hold that office.
(7) The termination of a bank winding up order
shall not affect the validity of anything done by any bank liquidator, director
or other person, or by operation of law, before its termination.
141 Final dissolution
(1) As soon as the affairs of a bank are fully
wound up, the bank liquidator shall make up an account and final report of the
bank winding up, showing how it has been conducted and how the bank’s property
has been disposed of.
(2) The bank liquidator shall send a copy of
the report under paragraph (1) to –
(a) the bank liquidation
committee;
(b) the Authority;
(c) the Commission;
(d) the Minister;
(e) the Viscount; and
(f) the Jersey Bank Depositors
Compensation Board,
and a copy of the report shall be made available to members,
creditors and contributories on request.
(3) The bank liquidator shall upon sending a
copy of the report to the bank liquidation committee under paragraph (2),
summon a final meeting of the bank liquidation committee.
(4) At the final meeting under paragraph (3),
the bank liquidation committee shall –
(a) consider the report; and
(b) decide whether to approve
its contents.
(5) If the bank liquidation committee approves
the report under paragraph (4), the bank liquidator shall forthwith apply
to the Court for an order for the dissolution of the bank.
(6) If the bank liquidation committee does not
approve the report under paragraph (4), the bank liquidator shall address
the concerns of the bank liquidation committee and submit the report to the
bank liquidation committee again but, if the report is again not approved, the
bank liquidator may, despite such disapproval, apply to the Court for an order for
approval of the report, and for dissolution of the bank.
(7) The bank liquidator shall give the
creditors of the bank not less than 21 days’ notice of the Court hearing
of the application for dissolution under paragraph (5), or approval and
dissolution under paragraph (6), accompanied by a copy of the bank
liquidator’s report.
(8) Within 7 days after the making of an
order by the Court in respect of an application made under paragraph (5)
or (6), the bank liquidator shall deliver to the Registrar the relevant Act of
Court for registration.
(9) If the bank liquidator fails to comply with
paragraph (7) the bank liquidator shall be guilty of an offence and liable to a fine.
(10) The Registrar, on receiving the order under
paragraph (8), shall register the order in the file of the bank so that it
may be publicly accessible.
(11) At the end of the period of 3 months
beginning with the day of registration of the order, the bank shall be
dissolved and shall cease to exist.
(12) Upon the dissolution of a bank under this
Article, any bank liquidator appointed for the purpose of the bank winding up
shall cease to hold that office.
(13) The dissolution of a bank under this Article
shall not affect the validity of anything duly done by any bank liquidator,
director or other person, or by operation of law, before its dissolution.
142 Assistance for foreign authorities in
insolvency matters
(1) The Court may, to the extent that it thinks
fit, assist a court, resolution authority, bank regulator or bank liquidator of
a relevant foreign jurisdiction, in matters relating to insolvency.
(2) For the purposes of paragraph (1), a
request from a court of a relevant foreign jurisdiction for assistance shall be
sufficient authority for the court to exercise, in relation to the matters to
which the request relates, any jurisdiction which it or the requesting court
could exercise in relation to these matters if they otherwise fell within its
jurisdiction.
(3) In exercising its discretion for the
purposes of this Article the Court shall have regard in particular to the rules
of private international law.
(4) In granting assistance under this Article,
the Court shall have regard to the general principles of resolution, the
resolution objectives, the objectives specified in Article 99 and any
other principles under this Law.
(5) In this this Article “relevant foreign
jurisdiction” means –
(a) the home jurisdiction and
relevant jurisdiction of a foreign bank; and
(b) such other country or
territory as may be prescribed.
PART 8
INVESTIGATIONS
143 Appointment of inspectors
(1) The
Authority may appoint one or more competent persons to investigate the affairs
of a bank and to report on the bank as the Authority may direct.
(2) This
Article applies whether or not the bank is in
resolution or being wound up.
144 Powers of inspector
(1) If an
inspector thinks it is necessary for the purposes of his or her investigation
to investigate also the affairs of another entity which is or at any relevant
time has been the bank’s subsidiary or holding company, or a subsidiary of its
holding company or a holding company of its subsidiary, the inspector shall
have the power to do so, and the inspector shall also report on the affairs of
the other entity so far as the inspector thinks that the results of
investigation of its affairs are relevant to the investigation of the affairs
of the bank.
(2) An inspector
may, at any time in the course of his or her investigation,
without the necessity of making an interim report, inform the Authority and the
Attorney General of matters coming to the inspector’s knowledge as a result of
the investigation tending to show that an offence has been committed.
145 Production of records and
evidence to inspector
(1) If an inspector considers that any person
is or may be in possession of information relating to a matter which the
inspector believes to be relevant to the investigation, the inspector may
require the person –
(a) to
produce and make available to the inspector all records in the person’s custody
or power relating to that matter;
(b) at
reasonable times and on reasonable notice, to attend before the inspector; and
(c) otherwise
to give the inspector all assistance in connection with the investigation which
the person is reasonably able to give,
and it is that person’s duty to comply
with the requirement.
(2) An inspector
may for the purposes of the investigation examine on oath any such person as is
mentioned in paragraph (1), and may administer an oath accordingly.
(3) Despite
any other provision in this or any other enactment to the contrary, an answer given by a person to a question put to him or her in
exercise of the powers conferred by this Article may not be used in evidence
against him or her in any criminal proceedings except –
(a) proceedings
for contempt of court under Article 149(2); or
(b) proceedings under Article 166.
146 Power
of inspector to call for directors’ bank accounts
If an inspector has reasonable grounds for believing that a
director, or past director, of the bank or other person whose affairs the
inspector is investigating maintains or has maintained a bank account –
(a) of any description,
whether alone or jointly with another person and whether in Jersey or elsewhere;
and
(b) into or out of which
there has been paid money which has been in any way connected with an act or
omission, or series of acts or omissions, which constitutes misconduct (whether
fraudulent or not) on the part of that director towards the bank or other
person or its members,
the inspector may require the director to produce and make available
to the inspector all records in the director’s possession or under the
director’s control relating to that bank account.
147 Authority for search
(1) An inspector
may, for the purpose of an investigation into the affairs of a bank, apply to
the Bailiff for a warrant under this Article in relation to premises specified
in the application.
(2) If the
Bailiff is satisfied that the conditions in paragraph (3) are fulfilled
the Bailiff may issue a warrant authorizing a police officer and any other
person named in the warrant to enter the premises specified in the warrant (using
such force as is reasonably necessary for the purpose) and to search those
premises.
(3) The
conditions referred to in paragraph (2) are –
(a) that
there are reasonable grounds for suspecting that there is on the premises
material (whether or not it can be particularized)
which is likely to be of substantial value (whether by itself or together with
other material) to the investigation for the purpose of which the application
is made; and
(b) that
the investigation for the purpose of which the application is made might be
seriously prejudiced unless immediate entry can be secured to the premises.
(4) Where a
person has entered premises in the execution of a warrant issued under
paragraph (2), the person may seize and retain any material, other than
items subject to legal professional privilege, which is likely to be of
substantial value (whether by itself or together with other material) to the
investigation for the purpose of which the warrant was issued.
(5) In this
Article, “premises” includes any place, and in particular
includes –
(a) any
vehicle, vessel, aircraft or hovercraft;
(b) any
offshore installation; and
(c) any
tent or movable structure.
148 Obstruction
Any person who wilfully obstructs any
person acting in the execution of a warrant issued under Article 147 shall
be guilty of an offence and liable to imprisonment for a term of 2 years and
to a fine.
149 Failure
to co-operate with inspectors
(1) If any
person –
(a) fails
to comply with a requirement under Article 145 or 146; or
(b) refuses
to answer any question put to the person by an inspector for the purpose of the
investigation,
the inspector may certify the refusal in writing to the Court.
(2) The
Court may, upon a refusal being certified under paragraph (1), inquire
into the case and, after hearing any witness who may be produced against or on
behalf of the alleged offender and any statement in defence, punish the
offender as if the offender had been guilty of contempt of the Court and order
him or her to comply.
150 Inspector’s reports
(1) An
inspector may, and if so directed by the Authority shall –
(a) make
interim reports; and
(b) on
conclusion of his or her investigation make a final report,
to the Authority as the case may be.
(2) The Authority
may –
(a) forward
a copy of any report made by an inspector in relation to a bank to the bank’s
registered office;
(b) furnish
a copy of the report on request and on payment of the prescribed or published
fee to –
(i) any member of the bank which is the
subject of the report,
(ii) any person whose conduct
is referred to in the report,
(iii) the auditors of the bank
which is the subject of the report,
(iv) the applicant for the
investigation,
(v) a relevant resolution authority, or
(vi) any person whose
financial interests appear to the Minister or the Commission to be affected by
the matters dealt with in the report, whether as a creditor of the company or
as a body corporate, or otherwise; and
(c) cause
the report to be printed and published in such form and in such manner as it
considers appropriate.
(3) In this
Article, “relevant resolution authority” means an authority discharging in a
country or territory outside Jersey any function that is the same as, or similar to, a function of the Authority.
151 Expenses
of investigating a bank’s affairs
The expenses of and incidental to an
investigation by an inspector shall be defrayed in the first instance by the
Authority, but the bank shall be liable to make repayment to the Authority.
152 Inspectors’ report to be
evidence
(1) A copy
of a report of an inspector certified by the Authority to be a true copy, is
admissible in legal proceedings as evidence of the opinion of the inspector in
relation to a matter contained in the report.
(2) A
document purporting to be a certificate mentioned in paragraph (1) shall
be received in evidence and be deemed to be such a certificate unless the
contrary is proved.
153 Privileged
information
Nothing in this Part requires the
disclosure or production, to the Authority or to an inspector, by a person of
information or records which the person would in an action in the Court be
entitled to refuse to disclose or produce on the grounds of legal professional
privilege in proceedings in the Court except, if the person is a lawyer, the
name and address of his or her client.
PART 9
RESTRICTION ON DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION
154 Restricted
information
(1) Except
as provided by Article 133, Part 8 and the subsequent provisions of
this Part, a person who –
(a) under this Law receives
information relating to the business or other affairs of any person; or
(b) obtains any such
information directly or indirectly from a person who has received it under
sub-paragraph (a),
shall
not disclose the information without the consent of the person to whom it
relates and (if different) the person from whom it was received.
(2) This
Article shall not apply to information which at the time of the disclosure is
or has already been made available to the public from other sources or to
information in the form of a summary or collection of information so framed as
not to enable information relating to any particular person
to be ascertained from it.
(3) A
person who discloses information in contravention of this Article shall be
guilty of an offence and liable to imprisonment for a term of 2 years and to
a fine.
155 Disclosure
for facilitating discharge of functions of the
Authority and specified persons
(1) Article 154
does not preclude the disclosure of information by or to any person in any case
in which such disclosure is for the purpose of enabling or assisting any of the
following –
(a) the Authority, or any person acting on their behalf;
(b) a person
appointed under an enactment by any of the following –
(i) the
Authority,
(ii) the
Court, on the application of the Authority,
(iii) a
Minister, where that Minister and the Authority are each specified in that
enactment as having power to appoint that person,
to discharge the Authority’s functions or that person’s functions
under this Law or under any other enactment.
(2) Article 154
does not preclude the disclosure of information by the Authority to the auditor
of –
(a) a bank;
(b) a former
bank; or
(c) a person who
appears to the Authority to be acting
or to have acted in contravention of Article 8 of the 1991 Law,
if it appears to the Authority that disclosing the information would
be in the interests of depositors or potential depositors.
(3) Subject to
paragraphs (4) to (6), Article 154 does not preclude the
disclosure of information by the Authority to any of the following
organizations or bodies –
(a) the
ESAs;
(b) ERSB;
or
(c) a
supervisor of a securities market.
(4) The Authority
shall not disclose information under paragraph (3) unless satisfied that –
(a) the purpose of the disclosure is to assist
the relevant organization or person to whom it is disclosed, in the exercise of
any of its functions; and
(b) that organization or person will treat the
disclosed information with appropriate confidentiality.
(5) In
deciding whether to disclose information under paragraph (3), the
Authority may take the following factors (among others) into account –
(a) whether
corresponding disclosure of information would be given by the relevant
organization or person, if such information were requested by the Authority;
(b) whether the
case concerns the possible breach of a law, or other requirement, which has no
close parallel in Jersey;
(c) the
seriousness of the case and its importance in Jersey;
(d) whether the
information could be obtained by other means; and
(e) whether it is
otherwise appropriate in the public interest to disclose the information.
(6) The Authority
may refuse to disclose information under paragraph (3) unless the relevant
organization or person undertakes to make such contribution towards the costs
of the disclosure as the Authority considers appropriate.
(7) In paragraph (3) “ESAs” and “ESRB” have the meaning given by Article 1 of the
1991 Law.
156 Disclosure
for facilitating discharge of functions by other authorities
(1) Article 154
does not preclude the disclosure of information by the Authority to –
(a) the Commission;
(b) the Viscount;
(c) the
Minister;
(d) the
Comptroller and Auditor General for the purpose of enabling or assisting the
carrying out of any of the Comptroller and Auditor General’s functions in
relation to the Authority; or
(e) any
person for the purpose of enabling or assisting that person to exercise that
person’s statutory functions in relation to any person or class of person in
respect of whom the Authority has or had statutory functions.
(2) In paragraph (1)(e), “statutory
functions” means functions conferred by or under an enactment on any person
including any ancillary functions related thereto, for such purposes as may be
prescribed or specified (as the case may be) under that enactment.
(3) Article 154
does not preclude the disclosure of information for the purpose of enabling or
assisting a resolution authority to exercise any of its functions.
(4) Without
prejudice to the generality of paragraph (1)(e), Article 154 does not
preclude the disclosure of information by the Authority to the Office of the
Financial Services Ombudsman or to an Ombudsman, within the meaning of the Financial Services Ombudsman (Jersey)
Law 2014 for the purpose of enabling or assisting that
Office or Ombudsman to exercise any function under that Law.
157 Other permitted disclosures
(1) Article 154
does not preclude the disclosure of information –
(a) with a view to the
investigation of a suspected offence or the institution of, or otherwise for
the purposes of, any criminal proceedings, whether under this Law or not; or
(b) in connection with any
other proceedings arising out of this Law.
(2) Article 154
does not preclude the disclosure by the Authority to the Attorney General or to
a police officer of –
(a) information obtained by
virtue of Article 155 or 156; or
(b) information in the
possession of the Authority as to any matter in relation to which the powers
conferred by Article 155 or 156 are
exercisable.
(3) Information
disclosed under paragraph (2) may only be disclosed by the Attorney General
or a police officer for the purposes of an investigation into a suspected
offence in Jersey or a prosecution in Jersey or, at the discretion of the
Attorney General, a suspected offence or prosecution in a country or territory
outside Jersey.
(4) Article 154
does not preclude the disclosure of information by the Authority to any person
responsible for a compensation scheme in relation to one or more deposit-taking
businesses (whether in Jersey or in a country or territory outside Jersey) if –
(a) it
appears to the Authority that disclosing the information would enable or assist
the recipient of the information or the Authority to discharge its functions;
and
(b) the
recipient of the information gives to the Authority prior to disclosure a
written undertaking that the information will not be further disclosed without
the prior consent of the Authority.
(5) Article 154
does not preclude the disclosure of information by the Authority to any person
acting on behalf of an international body or organization where that body’s or
organization’s functions include the assessment of Jersey’s compliance with
international standards relating to regulation of the financial sector and the
disclosure is for the purpose of enabling or assisting that body or
organization to discharge those functions.
(6) Article 154
does not preclude the disclosure of information by –
(a) the
Authority;
(b) a
person appointed under an enactment by any of the following –
(i) the
Authority,
(ii) the
Court, on the application of the Authority,
(iii) a
Minister, where that Minister and the Authority are each specified in that
enactment as having power to appoint that person,
to any person or body responsible for
setting standards of conduct for any profession where that person or body has
powers to discipline persons who fail to meet those standards if it appears to
the Authority or the appointed person that disclosing the information would
enable or assist the person or body responsible for setting standards to
discharge its functions in relation to a person who fails, or is alleged to
have failed, to meet those standards.
(7) No information shall be disclosed under or
by virtue of paragraph (5) or (6) or Article 155(1)(a) or (3), Article 156(1)(b),
(c) or (d) or (2) or Article 160 unless the Authority or person, as the
case requires, making the disclosure (‘the disclosing party’) is satisfied that
the person or body to whom or which the disclosure is made complies with or
will comply with any conditions to which the disclosing party may, in its
discretion, subject such disclosure.
158 Regulation making power to amend disclosure
provisions
The States may by Regulations amend Articles 155,
156 or 157 by –
(a) adding further persons or
bodies to or by whom disclosure may be made and specifying in each case the
purpose for which disclosure of information may be made; and
(b) amending the
circumstances in which disclosure may be made to or by any person or body
specified in those Articles, including the purposes for which and conditions in
which such disclosure may be made.
159 Information supplied to the Authority by resolution
authority
Articles 154 to 157 apply
also to information supplied to the Authority for the purposes of its functions
under this Law by a resolution authority in the
jurisdiction in which a bank operates branches or subsidiaries.
160 Co-operation
with resolution authority
The Authority shall, if it considers it
appropriate to do so, negotiate over and enter into binding and non-binding
framework co-operation agreements with a resolution authority in another
jurisdiction in which a bank’s group conducts business, whether through
separate entities, subsidiaries or branches in such other jurisdiction or through
subsidiaries or branches in Jersey of an entity incorporated in such other
jurisdiction.
161 Public statement
(1) The Authority
may issue a public statement concerning a bank if it appears to the Authority to
be desirable to issue the statement in the best interests of persons who have
transacted or may transact deposit-taking business with the bank or in the best
interests of the public.
(2) If the
Authority proposes to issue a public statement under paragraph (1), the
Authority shall, subject to paragraphs (3) and Article 162, serve
notice on the bank.
(3) A
notice under paragraph (2) shall –
(a) give
the reasons for issuing the statement;
(b) give
the proposed date of issue of the statement;
(c) contain
a copy of the statement;
(d) give
particulars of the right of appeal under Article 163 in respect of the
statement; and
(e) if the statement is
issued, in accordance with a decision under Article 162(3), before the day
specified in Article 162(1) in relation to the statement, give the reasons
for issuing it before that day.
(4) Paragraph (3)
shall not require the Authority –
(a) to
specify any reason that would in the Authority’s opinion involve the disclosure
of confidential information the disclosure of which would be prejudicial to a
third party; or
(b) to
specify the same reasons, or reasons in the same manner, in the case of notices
to different persons about the same matter.
162 Notice period
(1) The Authority
shall not issue a public statement under Article 161 before the expiration
of 14 days following the date of the service of the notice under
Article 161(2).
(2) Paragraph (1)
shall not apply if the bank in the public statement agrees with the Authority that
the statement may be issued on a date earlier than the date that would apply
under that paragraph and the statement is in fact issued on or after the
earlier date.
(3) Paragraph (1)
shall not apply if –
(a) the Authority
decides on reasonable grounds that the interests of –
(i) persons
who have transacted or may transact deposit-taking business with the bank, or
(ii) the
public,
in the issue of the public statement on a
date earlier than the date that would apply under that paragraph outweighs the
detriment to the persons identified in the public statement, being the
detriment attributable to the issue of the public statement on the earlier date;
and
(b) the public
statement is in fact issued on or after the earlier date.
(4) In making a decision under paragraph (3), the Authority is
not prevented from choosing as the date of issue of a public statement the date
of service (if any) of notice of the public statement.
(5) If an
appeal is made to the Court under Article 163(1), and the Court orders
that the public statement shall not be issued before any specified date or
event, the Authority shall not issue the public statement before the date or
event so specified.
(6) In a
case to which paragraph (1) applies, if an appeal is made under Article 163
to the Court against a decision to issue a public statement, the Authority shall
not issue the public statement before the day on which that appeal is
determined by the Court or withdrawn.
163 Appeals and orders about public statements
(1) A person aggrieved by a decision of the
Authority –
(a) to issue a public
statement under Article 161; or
(b) under Article 162(3),
may appeal to the Court, in accordance with this Article, against
the decision.
(2) An appeal under paragraph (1)(a) may
be made only on the ground that the decision of the Authority was unreasonable
having regard to all the circumstances of the case.
(3) An appeal under this Article shall be
lodged with the Court no later than –
(a) if notice is served on
the bank under Article 161(2) in relation to the public statement, the day
that is one month after the date of the last such service on the bank in
relation to the public statement; or
(b) if no such notice is
served on the bank, the day that is one month after the issue of the public
statement.
(4) Nothing
in paragraph (3) prevents the lodging of an appeal before a notice is
served or a public statement is issued.
(5) On an
appeal under this Article, the Court may make such interim or final order as it
thinks fit, including an order that the Authority shall not issue the public
statement or, if the public statement has been issued, that the Authority shall
issue a further public statement to the effect set out in the order or shall stop
making the statement available to the public.
PART 10
MISCELLANEOUS
164 References to the Court
(1) The Authority
may apply to the Court for the determination of a question arising in relation
to the taking of a resolution action.
(2) The
Court, if satisfied that it will be just and beneficial to do so, may accede
wholly or partially to the application on such terms and conditions as it
thinks fit, or make such other order on the application as it thinks just.
(3) An
order made under paragraph (2) may specify that the Authority may apply a
resolution tool, exercise a resolution power or take a
resolution action specified in the Order.
165 Service of notices
(1) No notice or other document required or
authorized by this Law to be given to the Authority shall be regarded as so
given until it is received.
(2) Subject to paragraph (1), any notice
or other document required or authorized by or under these Regulations to be
given to the Authority may be given by facsimile, electronic transmission or by
any similar means that produces a document containing the text of the
communication in legible form or is capable of doing so.
(3) Any notice, direction or other document
required or authorized by or under this Law to be given to or served on any
person other than the Authority may be given or served on the person –
(a) by delivering it to the
person;
(b) by leaving it at the
person’s proper address;
(c) by sending it by post to
the person at that address; or
(d) by sending it to the
person at that address by facsimile, electronic transmission or other similar
means that produce a document containing the text of the communication in
legible form or is capable of doing so.
(4) Any
such notice, direction or other document may –
(a) in the case of a company incorporated in
Jersey, be served by being delivered to its registered office or principal
office; or
(b) in the case of a partnership, company
incorporated outside Jersey or unincorporated association, be given to or
served on a person who is a principal person in relation to it, or on the
secretary or other similar officer of the partnership, company or association
or any person who purports to act in any such capacity, by whatever name
called, or on the person having the control or management of the partnership
business, as the case may be, or by being served on the latter person or
delivered to the latter person’s registered office or principal office.
(5) For the
purposes of this Article and of Article 7 of the Interpretation (Jersey) Law 1954 in its application to this Article, the proper
address of any person to or on whom a notice, direction or other document is to
be given or served by post shall be the person’s last known address, except
that –
(a) in the case of a company incorporated in
Jersey, or its secretary, clerk or other similar officer or person, it shall be
the address of the registered office or principal office of the company in
Jersey; or
(b) in the case of a partnership, or a person
who is a principal person in relation to a partnership, it shall be that of its
principal office in Jersey.
(6) If the
person to or on whom any notice, direction or other document referred to in paragraph (3)
is to be given or served has notified the Authority of an address within
Jersey, other than the person’s proper address within the meaning of paragraph (5),
as the one at which the person or someone on the person’s behalf will accept service
of documents of the same description as that notice, direction or other
document, that address is for the purposes of this Article and Article 7
of the Interpretation (Jersey) Law 1954 the person’s proper address.
166 False
or misleading information
(1) A
person who makes a statement in any document, material, evidence or information
which is required to be provided to the Authority or to any person entitled to
the information under this Law that, at the time and in the light of the
circumstances under which it is made, is false or misleading with respect to
any material fact, or that omits to state any material fact the omission of
which makes the statement false or misleading, shall be guilty of an offence
and liable to imprisonment for a term of 2 years and to a fine.
(2) A
person shall not be guilty of the offence if the person did not know that the
statement was false or misleading and with the exercise of all due diligence
could not have known that the statement was false or misleading.
167 Criminal liability of
partners, directors and other officers
(1) Where an offence under this Law committed
by a limited liability partnership, a separate limited partnership, any other
partnership having separate legal personality or a body corporate is proved to
have been committed with the consent or connivance of –
(a) a person who is a partner
of the partnership, or director, manager, secretary or other similar officer of
the body corporate; or
(b) any person purporting to
act in any such capacity,
the person is also guilty of the offence and liable in the same
manner as the partnership or body corporate to the penalty provided for that
offence.
(2) Where the affairs of a body corporate are managed
by its members, paragraph (1) applies in relation to acts and defaults of
a member in connection with the member’s functions of management as if he or
she were a director of the body corporate.
168 Appeal
(1) A
person aggrieved by –
(a) a
decision of the Authority to take a crisis prevention measure; or
(b) a
decision under this Law of –
(i) the
Authority, other than a decision referred to in sub-paragraph (a) or
Article 163,
(ii) the
Commission, or
(iii) any
other person exercising a function or power under this Law,
may, within 28 days of
the decision being made, appeal to the Court in accordance with this Article
against the decision.
(2) An
appeal under paragraph (1) may be made only on the ground that the
decision of the Authority, the Commission or other person was unreasonable
having regard to all the circumstances of the case.
(3) The right of appeal under
paragraph (1)(a) shall be subject to the following –
(a) the lodging of an appeal under paragraph (1)(a)
shall not automatically suspend the effects of the decision against which the
appeal is made; and
(b) the decision of the Authority to take a
crisis prevention measure shall be immediately enforceable and shall give rise
to a rebuttable presumption that a suspension of its enforcement would be
against the public interest.
(4) Where the decision against which an appeal
is made is a crisis management measure, the right of appeal under
paragraph (1)(b) shall be subject to the following –
(a) the lodging of an appeal shall not suspend
the effects of the decision; and
(b) the only remedy available shall be limited
to compensation for the loss suffered by the applicant as a result of the decision to act.
(5) On an appeal under this Article, the Court
may make such interim or final order as it thinks fit.
(6) Where
it is necessary to protect the interests of third parties acting in good faith
who have acquired shares, assets, rights or liabilities of a bank in resolution
by virtue the application of a resolution tool or the exercise of a resolution
power by the Authority, the revocation of a decision of the Authority shall not
affect any subsequent administrative acts or transactions concluded by the
Authority which were based on the revoked decision and in that case the
remedies for wrongful decision or action by the Authority shall be limited to
compensation for the loss suffered by the applicant as a result of the decision
to act.
169 Limitation of liability of
the Commission
(1) The
Commission, any member of the Commission or any person who is, or is acting as,
an officer, employee or agent of the Commission or who is performing any duty
or exercising any power on behalf of the Commission or under the control of the
Commission shall not be liable in damages for anything done or omitted in the
discharge or purported discharge of any function under, or authorized by or
under, this Law unless it is shown that the act or omission was in bad faith.
(2) The
limitation of liability under paragraph (1) does not apply so as to
prevent an award of damages made in respect of an act on the ground that the
act was unlawful as a result of Article 7(1) of the Human Rights (Jersey)
Law 2000.
170 Rules of Court
The power to make Rules
of Court under the Royal Court (Jersey)
Law 1948 shall include a power
to make Rules for the purposes of this Law.
171 Customary law
The rules of customary
law applicable to a bank shall apply to a bank except in so far as they are
inconsistent with the express provisions of this Law.
172 Regulations
The States may by Regulations –
(a) make such other provision
as the States think fit for the purposes of carrying this Law into effect;
(b) amend Part 5 or 6;
(c) create offences, and
specify penalties for such offences not exceeding imprisonment for 2 years
and a fine; or
(d) make such consequential,
incidental, supplementary and transitional provision as may appear to be
necessary or expedient, including provision making amendments to any other
enactment as appear to the States to be expedient –
(i) for the general purposes, or any
particular purpose, of this Law,
(ii) in consequence of any provision
made by or under this Law, or
(iii) for giving full effect to
this Law or any provision of it.
173 Orders
(1) The Minister may by Order –
(a) prescribe any matter
which is to be prescribed under this Law;
(b) amend Part 1 or Article 5,
22(6), 30, 65(7) or (11) or 111;
(c) amend the Schedule 1
or Schedule 2; or
(d) prescribe resolution
safeguards in addition to those provided under Articles 76 to 85.
(2) An Order made under this Law may make
different provision for different cases and contain such incidental,
supplemental and transitional provisions as appear to the Minister to be
necessary or expedient.
(3) The Minister shall consult the Authority
and the Commission before making any Orders under this Law.
174 [8]
175 [9]
176 [10]
177 [11]
178 Citation and commencement
This
Law may be cited as the Bank (Recovery and Resolution) (Jersey) Law 2017 and shall come into force on such day or days as the States may by Act appoint.