Legal Definitions - Minutes

Minutes are official records of what happened at a meeting. They include important information like decisions made and actions taken. Minutes are usually taken by a secretary or someone else assigned to the task. Once the minutes are approved at the next meeting, they become an official record of what happened and can be used as evidence in legal matters.

At a board meeting, the secretary takes notes on what is discussed and decided. These notes are then typed up and distributed to all members of the board. At the next meeting, the board reviews the minutes and approves them as an accurate record of what happened at the previous meeting.

Another example could be a shareholders meeting where the minutes are taken to record important decisions made by the shareholders, such as electing new board members or approving a merger.

These examples illustrate how minutes are used to keep an official record of important decisions made at meetings. They are important because they provide a clear and accurate record of what happened, which can be used as evidence in legal matters.