Preliminary

1 Disqualification orders: general.

(1)

In the circumstances specified below in this Act a court may, and under F1sections 6 F2, 8ZF and 9A shall, make against a person a disqualification order, that is to say an order that F3for a period specified in the order—

(a)

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, and

(b)

he shall not act as an insolvency practitioner.

(2)

In each section of this Act which gives to a court power or, as the case may be, imposes on it the duty to make a disqualification order there is specified the maximum (and, in F4sections 6 F5, 8ZA and 8ZF, the minimum) period of disqualification which may or (as the case may be) must be imposed by means of the order F6and, unless the court otherwise orders, the period of disqualification so imposed shall begin at the end of the period of 21 days beginning with the date of the order.

(3)

Where a disqualification order is made against a person who is already subject to such an order F7or to a disqualification undertaking, the periods specified in those orders F7or, as the case may be, in the order and the undertaking shall run concurrently.

(4)

A disqualification order may be made on grounds which are or include matters other than criminal convictions, notwithstanding that the person in respect of whom it is to be made may be criminally liable in respect of those matters.