[2026] FCA 84
General information, not legal advice.
Federal Court of Australia
2026-02-03
Mr J, Vandongen J
Original judgment source is linked above.
IN THE MATTER OF GLOBAL URANIUM AND ENRICHMENT LIMITED (ACN 619 387 085)
GLOBAL URANIUM AND ENRICHMENT LIMITED (ACN 619 387 085)
The plaintiff and Snow Lake Resources Ltd intend to rely on:
Note: Entry of orders is dealt with in Rule 39.32 of the Federal Court Rules 2011.
(a) the quotation and trading of the New Snow Lake Shares will occur:
(i) after the Schemes have become effective, that is after the official copy of the Court's order has been lodged with ASIC; but
(ii) before the Implementation Date when the New Snow Lake Shares are actually issued to GUE shareholders;
(b) Snow Lake will be required to provide Nasdaq with confirmation that the transaction has closed (that is, become effective) and the relevant final transaction documents, including any Court orders approving the Schemes;
(c) Nasdaq's post-completion review process typically takes seven to ten business days from receipt of confirmation that the transaction has been completed; and
(d) given that the Implementation Date is the seventh Business Day after the Effective Date (as defined in the Watson Affidavit), there will be sufficient time for Nasdaq to complete its review of the transaction before the New Snow Lake Shares are listed for quotation and issued to GUE shareholders on the Implementation Date.
In approving a scheme of arrangement, the role of the Court is supervisory, requiring the Court to be satisfied that there has been no oppression and that the compromise or arrangement is one that is capable of being accepted by shareholders looking to their own commercial advantage. In Re NRMA Ltd (No 1) [2000] NSWSC 82; 156 FLR 349 (Re NRMA Ltd) at [41], Santow J quoted with approval the following passage from Renard IA and Santamaria JG, Takeovers and Reconstructions in Australia (Butterworths, Sydney, 1990, loose-leaf), at 15,061:
... the court will determine: (1) whether all the conditions required by s 411 have been complied with; (2) whether the majority of members or creditors, though acting regularly, have acted in good faith and not in pursuit of some illegitimate purpose; and (3) whether the proposal was 'at least so far fair and reasonable, as that an intelligent and honest man, who is a member of that class, and acting alone in respect of his interest as such member, might approve it'.* Fundamentally, the jurisdiction is supervisory; the court is concerned to be satisfied that there has been an absence of oppression and that the compromise or arrangement is one which is capable of being accepted: see Re Dorman Long & Co Ltd [[1934] Ch 635]; Scottish Insurance Corp Ltd v Wilsons and Clyde Coal Co Ltd [1949] UKHL 3; [1949] AC 462 at 486.
* Per Fry LJ in Re Alabama, New Orleans, Texas and Pacific Junction Railway Co [1891] 1 Ch 213 at 247.
In deciding whether to give final approval to a scheme of arrangement, the Court will typically wish to be satisfied of the following matters:
(a) that the orders of the Court convening a meeting of members were complied with;
(b) that the meeting of members so convened has approved the scheme with the requisite majority;
(c) that all the statutory requirements have been complied with;
(d) that the majority of members have acted in good faith and not for any illegitimate purpose;
(e) that there is no suggestion of oppression of any minority;
(f) that the scheme is fair and reasonable so that an intelligent and honest person, who is a member and acting alone in respect of his or her interest as a member, might approve it;
(g) that there was full and fair disclosure to members of all information material to the decision whether to vote for or against the scheme; and
(h) that the plaintiff has brought to the attention of the Court all matters that could be considered relevant to the exercise of the Court's discretion.
(citations omitted)
Lodgment of December orders and registration of the scheme booklet
The schemes were approved by the requisite majorities
(a) the process of listing of additional shares on Nasdaq is a notification process only, and not an approval process;
(b) Nasdaq will not formally approve the issue of the new Snow Lake shares pursuant to the SID; and
(c) Nasdaq will only review the transaction after it has closed, that is after the scheme comes into effect, but before the new Snow Lake shares are issued.
(a) Snow Lake must have provided Nasdaq with all necessary information as required by its notification process; and
(b) as at 8.00 am on the date GUE shares are otherwise due to be transferred to Snow Lake and Share Scheme shareholders are to receive new Snow Lake shares, there is nothing from Nasdaq to indicate that the new Snow Lake shares will not be listed and quoted.
(a) the discretion may be exercised if the alteration is of a minor or technical kind which does not really affect the details of, or recast, the scheme;
(b) likewise, the discretion may be exercised if the alteration is of a minor or technical kind which improves the smooth working of the scheme or which does not affect the substantive operation of the scheme;
(c) the Court will not make an alteration to a scheme unless it is satisfied that the scheme as proposed to be altered would still have been agreed to by the requisite majorities if the members or creditors (as the case may be) had considered and voted on the scheme as proposed to be altered; and
(d) any alteration should not impinge upon or affect the 'spirit and intendment of the scheme as a whole'.
(citations omitted; paragraph numbering altered)
Satisfaction of s 411(17) of the Corporations Act
(a) an exemption under s 3(a)(10) of the Securities Act of 1933 (USA) registration requirements in connection with the issue and exchange of the scheme consideration under the schemes; and
(b) an exemption from the prospectus requirements of s 2.11 of the harmonised Canadian National Instrument 45-106 in connection with the implementation of, and provision of consideration under, the schemes.
(a) GUE advised this Court before the hearing to approve the schemes that reliance would be placed on the exemption provided for by s 3(a)(10) of the Securities Act and the exemption that is the subject of s 2.11 of the harmonised Canadian National Instrument on the basis of the Court's approval of the schemes;
(b) GUE has advised this Court that Snow Lake shares and Snow Lake warrants will be offered as consideration, and that BDO concluded that the proposal is in the best interests of shareholders and option holders;
(c) this Court held a hearing in open court to consider the fairness and reasonableness of the proposed schemes, and it was open to any member of the public, including any shareholder or scheme option holder of GUE to attend;
(d) notice of the date of the hearing to approve the schemes:
(i) was included in the scheme booklet circulated to all shareholders and option holders prior to the proposal being considered at the scheme meetings; and
(ii) was advertised on the ASX,
so that those to whom the securities are to be issued have had the opportunity to oppose or otherwise raise any objection to the schemes; and
(e) no shareholder or option holder had given notice of any intention to appear at the second court hearing to oppose the approval of the schemes, and the Court will have regard to whether any shareholder or option holder in fact opposed the approval of the schemes at the hearing.
(a) the Court's approval of the Share Scheme and the Option Scheme as set out in the orders and reasons for judgment as the basis of a claim to an exemption pursuant to s 3(a)(10) of the Securities Act of 1933 (US) (as amended) from the registration requirements otherwise imposed by that Act, in connection with the implementation of, and provision of consideration under, the Share Scheme and the Option Scheme;
(b) the fact the Share Scheme and Option Scheme have proceeded under the statutory procedures of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth); and
(c) the approval of the Share Scheme and Option Scheme by the Court for the purpose of qualifying for the exemption from the prospectus requirements of s 2.11 of the harmonised Canadian National Instrument 45-106 - Prospectus Exemptions in connection with the implementation of, and provision of consideration under, the Share Scheme and Option Scheme.
I certify that the preceding fifty-seven (57) numbered paragraphs are a true copy of the Reasons for Judgment of the Honourable Justice Vandongen.