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Company Law Reform Bill [HL]

I have a great deal of sympathy with the point that the noble Lord, Lord Freeman, has raised. I recall with pleasure my attendance at Companies House when I was an articled clerk long before the noble Lord, Lord Freeman. However, we ought to avoid giving the impression—if such an impression is given—that any director or other person"““subject to violence or intimidation””" should be immune from certain things. I did not want to use the word ““immune”” but I cannot think of the correct word. What I really wanted to say was that we ought to avoid the impression that violence or intimidation exercised by somebody against a director or other person should be immune from punishment. That is not the impression that the proposers of this new clause would like to prevail. As presently drafted, there is a risk of that. Maybe my noble friend ought to take that into account in—I hope—redrafting this amendment.