A general meeting is a meeting of a company’s shareholders convened by formal notice. Under the Companies Act 2006 (section 307), private companies are required to give at least 14 days notice to convene a general meeting unless the company’s Articles of Association specifies a longer notice period.

General meetings may be called by directors and, in certain circumstances, at the direction of shareholders or the court.

General meetings are the meetings being conducted by the members of any company in view of discussing certain matters which are required in a company. Various decisions are to be taken by the Board and other senior officials of the company. Also this matter needs to be delivered to the members in a meeting.

Certain classes of persons have been authorized to attend the General Meetings and these are as follows –

Members – General Meetings are specifically the meeting of the members of the Company. The shareholders are the members of the company in case the company is having share capital. There may be classes of shares which do not carry the right to attend general meetings or to vote, or which entitle the holders to do so only in particular circumstances. Thus, members are entitled to attend these meetings.

Proxies – A proxy which is appointed by a member has statutory right to attend a General Meeting of the Company.

Directors – Even if the directors of any company are not the members they have the right to attend General Meeting of that company. They have the statutory right to all notices of the General Meeting.

Auditors – An auditor of a company has right to receive all notices of, and other matters relating to General Meetings which a member of a company is entitled to receive and thus have the right to attend the General Meeting of the company. The auditor also has the right to be heard at any General Meeting which he attends on any part of the business of the meeting which concerns him as auditor.

Corporate representatives – Where the member is itself a company it may by resolution of its directors authorize such person as it thinks fit to act as its representative at any meeting. So the representatives being appointed are entitled to attend the General Meeting of the company.