The legal entity is ignored or the corporate veil is pierced. The doctrine of lifting the corporate veil has its origins in common law. legal system, particularly in England. 30. Lord Sumption 168 referred to "piercing of the corporate veil" as an exception to Solomon's principles and stated that it was "simply a label used to describe the disparate occasions in which a rule of law produces apparent exceptions to the principle of separation. legal personality of a legal entity”. Introduction. A limited company has a legal personality distinct from that of its members or shareholders. The barrier between the company's assets and those of its members is known as the "veil of incorporation." However, courts have "lifted the veil" in certain circumstances, for example where permitted by law, in times of war and to prevent,