Company law convictions double

THE number of convictions for breaches of company law doubled last year, according to the director of corporate enforcement.

Paul Appleby, head of the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement (ODCE), said there were 45 successful prosecutions for company law offences in 2003 and hundreds more cases are due before the courts this year.

In his 2003 review, Mr Appleby said the number of convictions was up as a result of more suspected breaches being brought to his attention.