The reasons for the rise and fall of Bearer Shares: a company law comparison between the UK and some offshore jurisdictions

Moving forward for the need for more transparency, the United Kingdom has also established a Beneficial Ownership Register which publicly accessible while the offshore financial centres have refused. Many Offshore Financial Centres are moving toward controlling Bearer Shares in order to keep in line with the Organization for Economic and Cooperative Development’s push for more transparency. As of 2015, the United Kingdom has altered its Company Law and has totally abolished Bearer Shares. However, Offshore Financial Centres such as The Cayman Islands through now immobilised, The British Virgin Islands and more recently the Republic of Panama have found an innovative solution through the immobilisation of bearer shares to protect privacy while still managing to control illegal activities. Over all with the abolishing of bearer shares and the new beneficial ownership register the United Kingdom is moving towards Greater transparency.