P.2017/27
The States are asked to decide:-
Whether they are of the opinion to approve the draft Projet de Loi entitled "The Beneficial Ownership of Legal Persons (Guernsey) Law, 2017", and to authorise the Bailiff to present a most humble petition to Her Majesty praying for Her Royal Sanction thereto.
This proposition has been submitted to Her Majesty's Procureur for advice on any legal or constitutional implications in accordance with Rule 4(1) of the Rules of Procedure of the States of Deliberation and their Committees.
EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM
The Law establishes the Office of the Registrar of Beneficial Ownership of Legal Persons, sets out the powers and functions of the Registrar, and imposes new duties on beneficial owners of legal persons and resident agents relating to the provision of information. The Law also makes appropriate amendments to the "relevant legal person Laws" - ie the Companies (Guernsey) Law, 2008, the Limited Liability Partnerships (Guernsey) Law, 2013 and the Foundations (Guernsey) Law, 2012 - and makes amendments to other legislation to ensure that the Guernsey Financial Services Commission has appropriate supervisory powers in respect of persons it regulates.
Part 1 of the Law establishes the Office of the Registrar and sets out the Registrar's functions. Part 2 sets out the duties of resident agents and beneficial owners to collect and disclose information. These duties expand on existing duties in the relevant legal persons Laws (eg Part XXIX of the Companies Law). The duties are enforced by a civil penalties regime and, in respect of resident agents, criminal offences. Part 3 amends the existing resident agent and beneficial ownership provisions in the relevant legal person Laws, making them consistent with the duties under Part 2 and the functions of the Registrar. Part 4 is concerned with the enforcement of the provisions, including a range of flexible civil sanctions consistent with those in the Companies Law, such as the power to issue private reprimands. The general provisions at Part 5 include providing for the meaning of 'beneficial owner' and related expressions to be defined by regulations.
Schedule 1 makes standard provision in respect of the Office of the Registrar. Schedule 2 sets out in more detail the general powers of the Registrar to disclose, and obtain, information, as well as the duty on him to keep information secure and confidential; the powers to disclose are consistent with powers in existing legislation such as the Disclosure Law. Also in Schedule 2 is an express power for the GFSC and the Economic Crime Division of the Customs and Immigration Service to inspect the Register for the purposes of carrying out their functions. Schedule 3 sets out amendments to the Foundations Law and Schedule 4 sets out amendments to other enactments, made for the broad purpose of ensuring that the GFSC has suitable supervisory powers in respect of persons it regulates.
