Application under section 17(3) Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986 for permission under section 1A(1) of the Act in what are understood to be novel circumstances: he is disqualified because of breaches of a previous section 17 order. Judges: ICC Judge Prentiss Citations: [2019] EWHC 2669 (Ch) Links: Bailii Statutes: Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986 17(3) … Continue reading Rwamba v The Secretary of State for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy: ChD 17 Oct 2019

When exercising his powers to order a company director to be disqualified under the Act, the judge should be explicit that the order applied to all the categories of companies listed in the section. There was no power to limit the disqualification, for example to acting as a director of private or of public companies. … Continue reading Regina v Ward; Regina v Howarth: CACD 10 Aug 2001

Having authorised an enquiry under section 447, the Secretary of State presented a winding-up petition of the respondent, an authorised dealer in securities. The company had been obliged to cease trade by its regulatory body. The judge held that the public interest did not require the company to be wound up as it had ceased … Continue reading Re Walter L Jacob Ltd: CA 1989

Directors had been tried and convicted of offences which could have founded a s2 disqualification order. After they had been sentenced and left the dock, prosecuting counsel said to the judge: ‘Your Honour has made no reference to disqualification under the Act, so I take it your Honour makes no order?’ to which the judge … Continue reading Secretary of State v Nimley: ChD 5 Feb 2002

Judges: Sir Andrew Park Citations: [2007] EWHC 3055 (Ch), [2008] 2 BCLC 313 Links: Bailii Statutes: Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986 17 Jurisdiction: England and Wales Citing: Cited – In Re Carecraft Construction Co Ltd ChD 13-Oct-1993 A court must hear evidence before disqualifying directors. Though the Director and the Secretary of State might reach … Continue reading Kluk v Secretary Of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform: ChD 20 Dec 2007

Citations: [2002] EWHC 2688 (Ch) Links: Bailii Statutes: Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986 Jurisdiction: England and Wales Company Updated: 05 July 2022; Ref: scu.178892

Application for disqualification Citations: [2018] EWHC 3190 (Ch) Links: Bailii Statutes: Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986 Jurisdiction: England and Wales Company Updated: 28 June 2022; Ref: scu.631377

Judges: Rix LJ Citations: [2005] EWCA Civ 1098 Links: Bailii Statutes: Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986 Jurisdiction: England and Wales Company Updated: 28 June 2022; Ref: scu.229858

Trial of a claim by the Secretary of State to disqualify the defendant, a qualified chartered accountant and non-practising barrister from acting as a director of a company arising out of his conduct of the affairs of nine companies on public interest grounds. Judges: Hodge QC HHJ Citations: [2015] EWHC 2626 (Ch) Links: Bailii Statutes: … Continue reading Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills v Pawson: ChD 27 Aug 2015

Mr Bairstow had been found guilty of grave misconduct and neglect of his duties in wrongful dismissal proceedings which he brought against a company of which he had been the managing director. The Secretary of State now sought an order against him under section 8 of the 1986 Act. Judges: The Honourable Sir Donald Ratee … Continue reading In re Queens Moat Houses Plc; Secretary of State for Trade and Industry v Bairstow, Hersey, Marcus, Porter: ChD 19 Jul 2004

Judges: His Honour Judge Halliwell sitting as a High Court Judge Citations: [2018] EWHC 2146 (Ch), [2018] WLR(D) 592 Links: Bailii, WLRD Statutes: Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986 Jurisdiction: England and Wales Company Updated: 07 June 2022; Ref: scu.625494

A director was prosecuted for the criminal offence of fraudulent trading, and in light of that the Disqualification Unit at the Insolvency Service decided not to pursue its own disqualification application under s6 but to ask the prosecution to seek an order under s2 if a conviction was obtained. That request was made to the … Continue reading Re Denis Hilton Ltd: ChD 2002

Appeal from Company Director Disqualification Citations: [2001] EWCA Civ 1237 Links: Bailii Statutes: Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986 Jurisdiction: England and Wales Company Updated: 31 May 2022; Ref: scu.147644

Morritt LJ, giving the judgment of the court, distinguished between the conduct of two directors, disqualifying one for twelve years and the other for eight. He said: ‘The period for disqualification is a matter for the discretion of the judge hearing the application to be exercised in accordance with the relevant principles. One such principle … Continue reading Secretary of State for Trade and Industry v McTighe: CA 1997

Appeal against banning order. Citations: [2002] EWCA Civ 286 Links: Bailii Statutes: Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986 Jurisdiction: England and Wales Company Updated: 29 May 2022; Ref: scu.216730

The claimants sought judicial review of decisions made about the future conduct of disqualification proceedings. Citations: [1997] EWHC Admin 1166 Links: Bailii Statutes: Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986 Citing: See Also – Regina v Secretary of State for Trade and Industry ex parte David Austin Mccormick Admn 19-Dec-1997 . . Cited by: See Also – … Continue reading Regina v Secretary of State for Trade and Industry ex parte David Austin Mccormick: Admn 18 Dec 1997

A director’s disqualification order was sought. The order was sought on the basis of allegations of conduct as liquidator of several companies. Judges: Newey J Citations: [2012] EWHC 1899 (Ch) Links: Bailii Statutes: Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986 Jurisdiction: England and Wales Citing: Cited – Deloitte and Touche Ag v Johnson and Another PC 10-Jun-1999 … Continue reading Wood and Another v Mistry: ChD 10 Jul 2012

A finding of breach of duty is neither necessary nor of itself sufficient for a finding of unfitness. As the judge (at first instance) observed a person may be unfit even though no breach of duty is proved against him or may remain fit notwithstanding the proof of various breaches of duty. The appeal was … Continue reading In re Barings plc (No 5): CA 2000

A disqualified director applied for consent to act in the management of a company before his disqualification had expired. He succeeded, and the judge made no award for costs. On appeal by the Secretary of State it was held that the lifting of the disqualification was a matter purely for the discretion of the judge. … Continue reading Secretary of State for Trade and Industry v Collins and others: CA 13 Jan 2000

When considering what constituted a shadow director, courts should be reluctant to move away from the words of the Act. The words should be construed carefully because the term was used in several pieces of legislation, including those with penal provisions. A shadow director is one who has real influence on a company. He does … Continue reading Secretary of State for Trade and Industry v Deverill and another: CA 20 Jan 2000

The disqualified director sought leave under section 17 to act as a director in circumstances which did not involve him assuming any executive responsibilities, other than of a trivial nature, and left him free to contract as a consultant. Held: Where a disqualification order has been made following dishonesty, that is likely to be a … Continue reading Re Barings and Others (No 3): ChD 1999

Sir Richard Scott V-C considered the effect of the relative strength of the case as to need on the degree of risk to the public that might be acceptable on any resumption of company director responsibilities, and concluded that in a strong case of need some slight risk might be acceptable: ‘In a case where … Continue reading Re Dawes and Henderson Agencies Ltd: ChD 1999

Disqualifications under section 8 should be of similar length to those recommended in the Sevenoaks Stationers for disqualifications under section 6. Citations: [1991] 1 WLR 1070 Statutes: Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986 8 Jurisdiction: England and Wales Citing: Cited – In re Sevenoaks Stationers (Retail) Ltd CA 1990 The court gave guidelines for the periods … Continue reading In re Samuel Sherman Plc: 1991

A disqualified director sought leave under section 17 to act as a director or be concerned or take part in the management of 3 companies and was successful in respect of 1 company. Arden J looked at the statutory basis and observed that the purpose of the unfitness disqualification is protective rather than penal and … Continue reading Re Tech Textiles Ltd: ChD 1998

Chadwick J said: ‘It would be preferable, for the future, if those preparing and swearing affidavits in support of applications under this Act were careful to distinguish between facts which they are able to establish by direct evidence, the inferences which they invite the court to draw from those facts, and the matters which are … Continue reading Re Pinemoor Ltd: ChD 1997

The affidavit filed in proceedings under the Act take a role similar to that of the pleadings in other cases. Judges: HH Judge Micklem Citations: [1994] BCC 226 Statutes: Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986 Jurisdiction: England and Wales Cited by: Cited – The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry v Swan and Othes ChD … Continue reading Re Circle Holidays International plc: ChD 1994

When considering the filing of additional evidence changing allegations made under the 1986 Act, the paramount requirement is that the director facing disqualification must know the charge he has to meet. As to the standard of misbehaviour required to found an order, Sir Nicolas Browne-Wilkinson VC said: ‘Ordinary commercial misjudgment is in itself not sufficient … Continue reading In re Lo-Line Electric Motors Ltd: 1988

A failure to file his company’s accounts is a serious default, and is sufficient to warrant the disqualification of a company secretary from acting as a company director. The filing of accounts is a substantial protection for those trading with limited companies. Citations: Times 05-Jan-1993 Statutes: Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986, Companies Act 1985 Jurisdiction: … Continue reading In Re Pamstock Ltd: ChD 5 Jan 1993

Judges: Miles J Citations: [2020] EWHC 2778 (Ch) Links: Bailii Statutes: Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986 17(3) Jurisdiction: England and Wales Company Updated: 23 March 2022; Ref: scu.655198

Judges: Mr Eason Rajah QC (Sitting as a Judge of the High Court) Citations: [2021] EWHC 2463 (Ch) Links: Bailii Statutes: Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986 17 Jurisdiction: England and Wales Company Updated: 09 February 2022; Ref: scu.671318

The director appealed against a 12 year disqualification. The basis of the disqualification was unlawful trading to the detriment of creditors, and taking excess drawings. The Vice-Chancellor, Lord Justice Buxton, And, Lady Justice Arden [2004] BCC 581, [2002] 1 BCLC 119, [2000] 1 WLR 2230, [2001] EWCA Civ 1787 Bailii Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986 … Continue reading Official Receiver v Stern and Another: CA 20 Nov 2001

The Secretary of State sought company director disqualification orders against the defendants saying they had been convicted of making false instruments. The Insolvency service had decided against such proceedings, and the Crown Court judge, when sentencing them had considered and rejected orders. The defendants now argued that the instant proceedings were an abuse of process. … Continue reading The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills v Weston and Another: ChD 5 Sep 2014

The claimant sought a disqualification after the defendants had been directors of a company mis-selling Structured Capital at Risk products. The FSA had reported that they had been negligent. Held: ‘I do not have to decide whether or not the defendants were negligent. The question is whether their risk ratings were so flawed that they … Continue reading Secretary of State for Business Innovation and Skills v Aaron and Others: ChD 10 Dec 2009

Robert Walker LJ said that the expression ‘de facto director’ had been in use for a long time, and commented on the failure to distinguish in pleadings between pleas that someone was a shadow or a de facto director. The two different labels were not necessarily mutually exclusive. He said: ‘However the two concepts do … Continue reading Re Kaytech International plc; Secretary of State for Trade and Industry v Kaczer and others: CA 1999

The claimant had offered an undertaking not to act as a company director for a period of time, to avoid applications for his disqualification. He now sought leave to act. Held: The applicant had: ‘put forward ample evidence to justify a finding that he is skilled and experienced at marketing and sales and would be … Continue reading Harris v Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills: ChD 9 Aug 2013

An application was made to disqualify as a company director a former director of Claims Direct Limited. He had been accused of several actions which might justify a disqualification. Held: The court found misconduct but delayed a decision on whether it was sufficient to found a disqualification. The court should look at such matters properly … Continue reading Secretary of State for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform v Sullman and Another: ChD 19 Dec 2008

Judgment on a claim brought by the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy against the defendant for an order under section 8 of the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986. The allegation against the defendant is that he . .

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