从英国法的角度看，您是否在破产时进行交易?（一）

1)破产交易是什么意思?
1)What Does Trading While Insolvent Mean?
多年从事贸易的董事已经深深地习惯了股东至上的理念。因此，当他们意识到公司资不抵债，责任发生了根本性的转变时，往往会感到惊讶。
Directors who have been trading for many years become deeply accustomed to the concept of putting shareholders first. It is often a surprise, therefore, for them to realise that, at the point of insolvency, there’s a fundamental shift in responsibility.
责任转移。一旦一名董事离职，公司正式破产，公司的主要责任就从股东转移到债权人。事实上，对于董事们来说，这个过渡时刻可能是一个灰色地带，某些董事在了解自己公司的情况后仍选择继续交易。然而，正如我们将要讨论的，有严格法律规定了在资不抵债的情况下继续交易。
Shift in responsibility As soon as a director becomes away that the company is officially insolvent, that primary responsibility shifts from shareholders to creditors. In fact, this moment of transition can be something of a grey area for directors, some of whom opt to continue trading despite the knowledge of their company situation. There are, however, strict laws around continuing to trade whilst insolvent, as we shall discuss.
2)什么是破产交易?
2)What is the Definition of Insolvent Trading?
资不抵债交易是指当企业不再有能力偿还其债务时，继续其日常经营的过程。
Insolvent trading is the process of continuing the day-to-day operations of a business when it is no longer able to pay its debts.
一般来说，当下列情况出现时，企业就会丧失偿债能力:
Broadly speaking, a business becomes insolvent when:
当债务到期时，无法再支付债务;
It can no longer afford to pay its debts when they become due;
其资产不再抵偿负债。
Its assets no longer cover its liabilities.
在破产的时候，董事的基本责任发生了变化。他们不再面对股东，而是对公司债权人。正是为了保护他们，有关非法交易和破产交易的法律才得以演变。
At the moment of insolvency, a directors fundamental responsibilities change. They are no longer to shareholders but to company creditors and it is to protect them that the laws around wrongful and insolvent trading have evolved.
3)破产交易的规则是什么?
3)What are the Rules Surrounding Trading Whilst Insolvent?
如果你没有足够的钱还款，但债务较小，你可以继续交易，这并不违法。然而，如符合下列全部条件，你必须立即停止交易，并联系破产从业员。
If you don’t have enough to make repayments but the debt remains small, it may be possible to continue trading without breaking the law. However where the following conditions are met, you must stop immediately and contact an insolvency practitioner.
如果你的债务超过750英镑。
(a)If your debt is greater than £750.
如果您已经违反了贷款协议条款而没有付款。
(b)If you have violated the terms of a loan agreement already by not paying.
4)破产交易是否违法或刑事犯罪?
4)Is Trading While Insolvent Illegal or a Criminal Offence?
基本法是来自1986年《破产法》第214节的不法交易。对于董事来说，关键短语是:
The basic law is from Section 214 of the Insolvency Act 1986, Wrongful Trading. The key phrase for directors here is:
“在公司开始清盘前的某个时间，该人士知道或应该得出结论，认为该公司不可能避免破产清算的合理前景。”
“At some time before the commencement of the winding up of the company, that person knew or ought to have concluded that there was no reasonable prospect that the company would avoid going into insolvent liquidation.”
这意味着董事知道情况，但仍然选择继续。这意味着他没有把债权人的利益放在第一位。
This means that the director was aware of the situation, but chose to continue nevertheless. This means his actions did not put the interests of creditors first.
违法交易
Wrongful Trading
如有证据，董事可被判犯有不当交易罪。这是一项民事罪责，可被判取消董事资格2-15年，并可被罚款，严重情况下可被判监禁。
Where that can be proven the director can be convicted of Wrongful Trading which is a civil offence carrying penalties of directorial disqualification of 2-15 years, fines and, in severe cases, imprisonment.
董事在交易中面临破产风险
Directors Risks While Trading Insolvent
一旦公司被清盘，破产执行人的任务之一就是调查董事在公司破产前一段时间的行为。这时，违法交易通常会被发现，通常是由公司债权人聘请的破产从业人员来收回他们的钱。
Once a company is in liquidation, one of the tasks of the insolvency practitioner is to investigate the actions of the directors in the period prior to insolvency. This is the point at which wrongful trading is usually discovered, commonly by the insolvency practitioner hired by company creditors to get their money back.
5)董事是否可被追究个人责任?
5)Can Directors Be Held Personally Liable?
对董事来说，违法交易的最严重后果之一可能是个人要为公司债务承担责任。虽然《破产法》通常是为了在公司财务和个人财务之间保持一条清晰的界限，但违法交易是能够打破这一面纱的罕见案例之一。
For directors, one of the most serious consequences of wrongful trading may be the fact of being held personally liable for company debt. Whilst insolvency laws are generally there to keep a clear line between corporate and personal finances, wrongful trading is one of the rare instances where this veil can be breached.
6)有诉讼时效吗?
6)Is there a Statute of Limitations?
除非法院另有规定，否则对涉嫌违法交易的董事提起诉讼的时效为6年。因此，6年诉讼期间届满后，您将不会被指控。
Unless another time-frame is specified by the court then the limitation period for commencing proceedings against directors suspected of wrongful trading is six years. Therefore, you will not be charged after the six-year limitation period has passed.
7)进入破产管理程序的公司可以继续从事贸易吗?
7)Can a Company in Administration Continue to Trade?
当一家公司进入破产管理程序，它这样做通常是为了留出一段时间进行重组，并希望能恢复盈利。因此，破产管理是常见的，这意味着业务继续正常运行以保持连续性。
When a company goes into administration it usually does so to allow for a period of restructuring, and with the hope that it will return to profitability. Because of this, trading administrations are common, meaning the business keeps on running as usual, with the intention of maintaining continuity.
政府还对该公司设置了法律上的“圈护”(暂停偿债)，以保护其在偿债过程中免受任何债权人的威胁。
any creditor threats while the process unfolds.
8)处罚是什么?
8)What are the Penalties?
当公司进入破产程序，例如行政管理、债权人自愿清盘或强制清盘时，破产从业员会调查所有在过去3年内任职董事的行为。调查的目的是确保董事负责任地行动，并采取必要的行动减轻债权人的损失。这些调查信息将提交至政府的破产服务处，由其决定是否需要采取进一步的行动。
When a company enters an insolvency proceeding such as administration, creditors’ voluntary liquidation or compulsory liquidation, the insolvency practitioner will always investigate the conduct of all the directors who held office during the previous three years. The purpose of the investigation is to ensure the directors have acted responsibly and taken the necessary action to mitigate creditor losses. This information is then presented to the government’s Insolvency Service, which will decide whether further action needs to be taken.