Can a chair of a meeting refuse to accept proxies?

The facts of that case involved the chair of a meeting deciding not to accept proxies because of the validity of the proxies. Among other things the court concluded as follows: 67 The duty and function of the chair is to preserve order and take care that the proceedings are conducted in a proper manner and the sense of the meeting is properly ascertained with regard to any question properly before the meeting (National Dwellings Society v. Sykes [1894] 3 Ch 159 per Chitty J at 162). Upon the chair rests the responsibility for making rulings as to the validity of matters. Some of those matters will be entirely procedural such as decisions concerning the putting of resolutions to the meeting. Others will involve determining an entitlement such as whether a member may vote by proxy having regard to a challenge to the validity of the proxy instrument, compliance with lodgement procedure or by reason of some other deficiency or restriction. The chair may foreshadow a ruling and entertain objections and discussion before deciding the question or invite discussion, then rule and note objections to the ruling.