Acting whilst disqualified is very serious. It can lead to longer periods of disqualification – as in anything from 2 to 15 years , you can be held personally liable and even go to prison.
Where you are disqualified as a director you are banned from acting as a director or acting in the management of any company in the UK.
The statutory prohibition that applies to disqualified directors’ states as follows:
“he shall not be a director of a company, act as receiver of a company’s property or in any way, whether directly or indirectly, be concerned or take part in the promotion, formation or management of a company unless (in each case) he has the leave of the court,”
The above restrictions apply to all forms of management and being “a director of a company” includes acting as a shadow director, where other directors are instructed on all or key issues by a third party who sits “in the shadows” and is not listed on Companies House or otherwise formally recognised as a director.
It doesn’t make any difference whether disqualification was a result of bankruptcy , criminal proceedings , issued disqualification proceedings OR following the provisions of a disqualification undertaking.
Subsequent company insolvency
Where a company has been placed into insolvency, the Secretary of State will carry out the necessary review and investigation into the way in which the company was being run via the Insolvency Service.
They will make a decision once they have reviewed all the documents and evidence if they should instigate any action for directors’ disqualification which can then lead to disqualification proceedings being issued or a director disqualification undertaking being sought.
Where these investigations reveal that either the appointed director or another party often not recorded formally as a director have previously been disqualified as a director, then the investigations may also focus on the allegation that an individual acted as a director or in the management of that company, despite being prohibited as a result of their previous disqualification.
Acting whilst disqualified
I often see circumstances where a director is subject to disqualification proceedings some years after a previous company failure and this adversely affects his/her ability to run their new company, which is often more successful perhaps off the back of their recent experience.
In a majority of scenarios that director will resign their position and cease to act as a director or in any way in the management of their new company, although it is important to note that disqualification does not prohibit you from being a shareholder of a company or in any way having a financial interest in a company.
however, where it is difficult for that director to completely cut him/herself off from the day-to-day affairs or any part of the company’s business, then it is often the case that the director will continue sometimes unknowingly to be acting in the management or as director of that company, in breach of the statutory disqualification.
Shadow director or de facto director
A shadow director “sits in the shadows” instructing directors of the company in whole or part on issues which fall within the director’s responsibilities. This is very different from a professional advisor, although disqualified directors face a risk in seeking the protection of “professional advisor” status when attending board meetings or in any way supporting directors fulfil their duties.
In acting as a “shadow director” the director will be in effect integrally involved in the management of the company without being listed as a director on Companies House . There is no longer a difference in the law as in whether a director registered at Companies House and someone who directs the company without holding him/herself out as a director.
Equally, an individual acting as a director, signing off documents or in any way holding him/herself out as a director, but not being formally recognised as one, is de facto a director and will be treated no different to a formally appointed director.
The problems of acting whilst disqualified
In disqualification proceedings, if a director is disqualified for acting in breach of a previous disqualification, then the period of disqualification sought will have to reflect the very serious nature of the offence which is also a criminal offence.
The Secretary of State takes such breaches very seriously and will almost always seek a a disqualification period in the top bracket, so that’s up to 15 years.
Also , under section 13 of the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986 – the Insolvency Service may open criminal investigation in to the misconduct and seek to a prison sentence of up to 2 years against the offending director, along with other charges that may relate to their company’s business in particular where the misconduct relates to fraud.
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