OPPRESSION OF MINORITY SHAREHOLDERS- REFLECTIONS ON BLISSET v DANIEL

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Robin Hollington QC

Abstract

The leading modern case on the law relating to the rights of minority shareholders is the decision of the House of Lords in O’Neill v Phillips, in which Lord Hoffmann, giving the only speech, appeared to place heavy reliance upon the seminal speech of Lord Wilberforce in Re Westbourne Galleries Ltd.   The main purpose of this article is to compare and contrast the reasoning of Lord Hoffmann with that of Lord Wilberforce.  It is proposed to begin with a close look at the old case of Blisset v Daniel, and to analyse the use to which that authority was put by Lord Hoffmann and Lord Wilberforce.  It is proposed to conclude by considering the question whether the reasoning of Lord Hoffmann in O’Neill v Phillips is, or was indeed ever meant by him to be, of general or wide application.

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