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Canada Business Corporations Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. C-44)

Act current to 2026-06-21 and last amended on 2026-03-26. Previous Versions

Marginal note:Indemnification

  •  (1) A corporation may indemnify a director or officer of the corporation, a former director or officer of the corporation or another individual who acts or acted at the corporation’s request as a director or officer, or an individual acting in a similar capacity, of another entity, against all costs, charges and expenses, including an amount paid to settle an action or satisfy a judgment, reasonably incurred by the individual in respect of any civil, criminal, administrative, investigative or other proceeding in which the individual is involved because of that association with the corporation or other entity.

  • Marginal note:Advance of costs

    (2) A corporation may advance moneys to a director, officer or other individual for the costs, charges and expenses of a proceeding referred to in subsection (1). The individual shall repay the moneys if the individual does not fulfil the conditions of subsection (3).

  • Marginal note:Limitation

    (3) A corporation may not indemnify an individual under subsection (1) unless the individual

    • (a) acted honestly and in good faith with a view to the best interests of the corporation, or, as the case may be, to the best interests of the other entity for which the individual acted as director or officer or in a similar capacity at the corporation’s request; and

    • (b) in the case of a criminal or administrative action or proceeding that is enforced by a monetary penalty, the individual had reasonable grounds for believing that the individual’s conduct was lawful.

  • Marginal note:Indemnification in derivative actions

    (4) A corporation may with the approval of a court, indemnify an individual referred to in subsection (1), or advance moneys under subsection (2), in respect of an action by or on behalf of the corporation or other entity to procure a judgment in its favour, to which the individual is made a party because of the individual’s association with the corporation or other entity as described in subsection (1) against all costs, charges and expenses reasonably incurred by the individual in connection with such action, if the individual fulfils the conditions set out in subsection (3).

  • Marginal note:Right to indemnity

    (5) Despite subsection (1), an individual referred to in that subsection is entitled to indemnity from the corporation in respect of all costs, charges and expenses reasonably incurred by the individual in connection with the defence of any civil, criminal, administrative, investigative or other proceeding to which the individual is subject because of the individual’s association with the corporation or other entity as described in subsection (1), if the individual seeking indemnity

    • (a) was not judged by the court or other competent authority to have committed any fault or omitted to do anything that the individual ought to have done; and

    • (b) fulfils the conditions set out in subsection (3).

  • Marginal note:Insurance

    (6) A corporation may purchase and maintain insurance for the benefit of an individual referred to in subsection (1) against any liability incurred by the individual

    • (a) in the individual’s capacity as a director or officer of the corporation; or

    • (b) in the individual’s capacity as a director or officer, or similar capacity, of another entity, if the individual acts or acted in that capacity at the corporation’s request.

  • Marginal note:Application to court

    (7) A corporation, an individual or an entity referred to in subsection (1) may apply to a court for an order approving an indemnity under this section and the court may so order and make any further order that it sees fit.

  • Marginal note:Notice to Director

    (8) An applicant under subsection (7) shall give the Director notice of the application and the Director is entitled to appear and be heard in person or by counsel.

  • Marginal note:Other notice

    (9) On an application under subsection (7) the court may order notice to be given to any interested person and the person is entitled to appear and be heard in person or by counsel.

  • R.S., 1985, c. C-44, s. 124
  • 2001, c. 14, s. 51

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