Consolidated Acts

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BVI Insolvency Act

As a service to our clients, we have prepared this compendium of the Insolvency Act, Revised Edition 2020 together with related regulations and rules, incorporating all amendments to date.

This version of the compendium takes into account changes and updates to the legislation as set out in the recent revisions.

The most recent update includes amendments to the Insolvency Act, Revised Edition 2020 made by the Insolvency (Amendment) Act, 2022, amendments to the Insolvency Rules, Revised Edition 2020 made by the Insolvency (Amendment) Rules, 2023, and amendments to the Insolvency Code of Practice, Revised Edition 2020 made by the Insolvency (Amendment) Code of Practice, 2023, all in force 1 March 2023.

BVI Insolvency Law

The BVI Insolvency Act, 2003 and the Insolvency (Amendment and Consequential Provisions) Act, 2004 were proclaimed in force as of August 16, 2004. The Insolvency (Transitional Provisions) Regulations, 2004 (the “Regulations”) deal with transitional matters. The Regulations provide that the Court may make an order in respect of a transaction entered into or created prior to the commencement date (which is deemed to be August 16, 2004) only to the extent it could have made such order under the former law. The Regulations define “former law” as the enactments and rules of law repealed, amended or modified by the Insolvency Act, 2003, the Insolvency Rules, 2004 and any regulations made under the Insolvency Act, 2003. It is a matter of interpretation whether the significant amendments resulting from the Insolvency (Amendment and Consequential Provisions) Act are included in the definition of “former law”.

Part III of the Insolvency Act, which encompasses sections 74 through 114, contains the provisions dealing with administration orders, these provisions have not yet been brought into force.

The provisions of Part XVIII of the Insolvency Act, 2003 are not in force. This Part, which encompasses sections 436 through 465, contains the provisions dealing with cross-border insolvency. The Government of the British Virgin Islands has stated that these provisions will not be brought into force until such time as there is a “level playing field” with respect to the UNCITRAL model on cross-border insolvency, meaning that the model be adopted by many jurisdictions. It is not anticipated that the provisions of Part XVII will come into force any time in the foreseeable future.

This compendium is intended for informational purposes only. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the legislation and related material, and it is believed that the only errors are those contained in the official legislation itself (which errors have been faithfully reproduced), no responsibility is assumed for the content. Reference should be made to the official versions of the legislation for an authoritative statement of the law and any subsequent amendments. Nothing in this compendium is to be considered as creating an attorney-client relationship or indeed any contractual relationship or as rendering legal or professional advice for any specific matter. Readers are responsible for obtaining such advice from their own legal counsel. No client or reader should act or refrain from acting on the basis of any content within this document without first obtaining matter-specific legal and/or professional advice. Conyers accepts no responsibility for any loss or damage, howsoever incurred, which may result from accessing or reliance on this content.

Conyers British Virgin Islands
March 2023

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