Board Minute Policy & Style Guide

The Companies Act 2006 requires that all companies record proceedings of directors’ meetings and that they are retained for at least 10 years. Articles of association and shareholders’ agreements also often contain additional requirements as regards board meetings and recording directors’ decisions.

In general, however, there is little prescription in relation to board minutes and practice will vary from company to company in terms of style, content, structure and the degree of detail.

Use this policy and style guide to standardise how your company prepares board minutes

Case law has highlighted the importance of ensuring that the preparation of board minutes is given due care and attention. Although minutes are kept for internal records, companies may wish to implement a formal minute-taking policy and style guide that the board has approved.

A consistent approach should help ensure board minutes create a proper and consistent contemporaneous record of each meeting in line with the company’s preferred style. This may also help if minutes are relied on externally to provide a record of facts, for example if scrutinised by a court at a future date.

What this policy covers

This template covers the main aspects of a board minute-taking policy and is a useful starting point for companies considering adopting one.

• The purpose of the policy.
• Legal requirements.
• Disclosure and retention of minutes.
• Responsibility for minute taking.
• Accuracy and compliance.
• Draft minutes: content and style.
• Approval and amendment of minutes.
• Timing of minutes.

Board Minute Policy & Style Guide is part of Corporate. Just £38.50 + VAT provides unlimited downloads from Corporate for 1 year.