28Conduct by directors, employees and agents

28 Conduct by directors, employees and agents

(1)  If, in proceedings under this Act in respect of conduct engaged in by a body corporate, it is necessary to establish the state of mind of the body corporate, it is sufficient to show that a director, employee or agent of the body corporate, being a director, employee or agent by whom the conduct was engaged in within the scope of the person's actual or apparent authority, had that state of mind.

(2)  Any conduct engaged in on behalf of a body corporate –

(a) by a director, employee or agent of the body corporate within the scope of the person's actual or apparent authority; or

(b) by any other person at the direction or with the consent or agreement (whether express or implied) of a director, employee or agent of the body corporate, if the giving of the direction, consent or agreement is within the scope of the actual or apparent authority of the director, employee or agent –

is to be taken, for the purposes of this Act, to have been engaged in also by the body corporate.

(3)  If, in proceedings under this Act in respect of conduct engaged in by a person other than a body corporate, it is necessary to establish the state of mind of the person, it is sufficient to show that an employee or agent of the person, being an employee or agent by whom the conduct was engaged in within the scope of the employee's or agent's actual or apparent authority, had that state of mind.

(4)  Conduct engaged in on behalf of a person other than a body corporate –

(a) by an employee or agent of the person within the scope of the actual or apparent authority of the employee or agent; or

(b) by any other person at the direction or with the consent or agreement (whether express or implied) of an employee or agent of the first-mentioned person, if the giving of the direction, consent or agreement is within the scope of the actual or apparent authority of the employee or agent –

is to be taken, for the purposes of this Act, to have been engaged in also by the first-mentioned person.

(5)  A reference in this section to the state of mind of a person includes a reference to the knowledge, intention, opinion, belief or purpose of the person and the person's reasons for that intention, opinion, belief or purpose.