CH282210 - Director disqualification: general You should check the other guidance available on GOV.UK from HMRC as Brexit updates to those pages are being prioritised before manuals. Director disqualification is the process whereby an individual is disqualified, for a specified period between 2 and 15 years, from becoming a director of a company, or directly or indirectly being concerned or taking part in the promotion, formation or management of a company without permission from the court. Directors are usually disqualified where there has been a company insolvency and the director(s) have been shown to be unfit. Disqualification proceedings are a civil, not criminal, process and are carried out pursuant to the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986 (CDDA). Proceedings are usually brought by The Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, through their Executive Agency, The Insolvency Service (INSS).