Anonim Şirket Yönetim Kurulu Üyelerine Tanınan Bilgi Alma Hakkı ve Bu Hakkın Üyelerin Görev ve Sorumlulukları ile İlişkisi

Right to Obtain Information of the Joint Stock Company’s Board of Directors Members and the Relationship of this Right with their Duty and Liability

Hasan KARSLIOĞLU

6102 Sayılı TTK’nın 392’nci maddesinde düzenlenen yönetim kurulu üyelerinin bilgi alma hakkı, yönetim kurulu üyelerinin ağır ve kapsamlı sorumluluklarının doğal bir sonucu olarak ortaya çıkmaktadır. Bununla birlikte, hakkın kapsam ve sınırlarının incelenmesi üyelerin hangi hallerde bilgi alma haklarını kullanıp kullanamayacaklarının belirlenmesi bakımından önem arz etmektedir. Nitekim üyelerin bilgi alma hakkının herhangi bir sınırlama olmaksızın kullanabileceğinin kabulünün, kanunda düzenlenen hakkın amacına aykırı olabileceği düşünülmektedir. Bu kapsamda, yönetim kurulu üyelerinin bilgi alma hakkının sınırının genel olarak üyelerin sorumluluklarının doğabileceği noktaya kadar olduğu, sorumluluğun doğmasının ise her üyenin kendi görev ve yetkisi kapsamında kalan konularda mümkün olabileceği ve bu görev ve yetkilerin detaylı olarak belirlenmesinin ise bir yönetim kurulu iç yönergesi düzenlemek sureti ile mümkün olduğu ifade edilmektedir. Bu bağlamda, bilgi alma hakkı zamansal olarak kullanılmaları bakımından yönetim kurulu toplantısından önce, yönetim kurulu toplantısı esnasında ve yönetim kurulu toplantısı dışında kullanılan bilgi alma hakkı olmak üzere üçe ayrılarak incelenmekte, hakkın kapsam ve sınırlarının yönetim kurulu üyelerinin görev ve sorumlulukları ile olan ilişkisi ise buna göre değerlendirilmektedir.

Yönetim Kurulu, Bilgi Alma Hakkı, Yönetim Kurulu Üyelerinin Sorumluluğu, İç Yönerge, Yönetim Kurulu Üyelerinin Görev ve Yetkilerin Belirlenmesi.

Right to obtain information of the Board of Directors members which is regulated under the 392nd Article of the TCC numbered 6102, as much as being a right, also constitutes an obligation for the board members. Right to obtain information appears as a natural outcome of the heavy and extensive liability of the board members. In addition to this, review of the scope and limits of these rights is of importance in manner of determining how to use this right. Also, it would be in contradiction with the purpose of this right, to accept that the members are allowed to use their right to obtain information without being subject to any limits. Within this scope, limits of the right to obtain information of the board members appear when their liability arises in accordance with their duty and authority which can be regulated in detailed through company’s internal directive. With regards to the relationship between right to obtain information and duty and liability of the board members, right to obtain information will be examined in this article in three different categories according to their timewise usage which are; right to obtain information before the board meeting, during the board meeting and after the board meeting, and the scope and limits of the right to obtain information and its relationship with members’ liability are addressed accordingly.

Board of Directors, Right to Obtain Information, Liability of the Board Members, Internal Directive, Determination of the Duty and Authority of the Board Members.

Extended Abstract

Right to obtain information of the Board of Directors members which is regulated under the 392nd Article of the TCC numbered 6102, as much as being a right, also constitutes an obligation for the board members. Right to obtain information appears as a natural outcome of the heavy and extensive liability of the board members. In addition to this, review of the scope and limits of these rights is of importance in manner of determining how to use this right. Also, it would be in contradiction with the purpose of this right, to accept that the members are allowed to use their right to obtain information without being subject to any limits. Within this scope, limits of the right to obtain information of the board members appear when their liability arises in accordance with their duty and authority which can be regulated in detailed through company’s internal directive. Rights and authorities of the board members, especially the specific duty, power, liability, or accountability of each member can be designated within the internal directive. As a result, all members shall be liable within the scope of their own authority or designated duties. In addition to this, considering the fact that each member obtains information on the matters that are related to their liability, here the term of “matters related to the liability” should be subject to a broad interpretation and contain both direct and indirect relation. Additionally, as a rule, board of directors uses its authority in order to manage the company as a board. However, occasionally board may decide to confer some of its authorities to certain members or third parties. In this case, board’s authority may be conferred through an internal directive to be prepared by the board itself. With the internal directive that includes the conferral of the authority, also the liability gets transferred to the competent persons accordingly. The reason for this is that one of the fundamental purposes of the transfer of authority is the removal of the liability of the unauthorized member. This way, by accepting the fact that the liability only arises for the members to whom the duties and authorities have been transferred, in case of transfer of authority, right to obtain information shall be transferred to the authorized member accordingly. Thus, it would be appropriate to state that each board member shall be liable within the framework of their duties and authorities appointed with the internal directive. Article 375 of the TCC set forth the untransferable duties and authorities of the board of directors. As per the relevant provision, monitoring duty of the board is one of the untransferable duties and authorities. Thus, the board cannot be disposed from the liability that may arise out of its monitoring duty. Consequently, the board members can use their right to obtain information when it is required as a result of their monitoring duty. Moreover, if board members cause a damage in the company due to not fulfilling their obligation to obtain information with default, there would be a causal link between the act of the members and the damage, they should be held liable because of their faulty act of not obtaining information. With regards to the relationship between the right to obtain information and duty and liability of the board members, right to obtain information will be examined in this article in three different categories according to their timewise usage which are; right to obtain information before the board meeting, during the board meeting and after the board meeting, since the determination of the scope and limits of the right to obtain information and its relationship with members’ liability are addressed accordingly.