Jersey has introduced new measures to prevent sanctioned individuals from serving as company directors.
The External Relations Minister has announced an update to Jersey’s sanctions and asset-freezing law which will see UK rules banning certain people from being company directors extended to Jersey.
The update came into force in the island on 27 February 2025.
The UK updated its laws in May 2024 to ban sanctioned people from serving as company directors.
However, this change did not automatically apply in Jersey – and so the island needed to pass its own law to enforce them.
Under the new law, it will be an offence for a person subject to director disqualification sanctions to:
- act as a director of a Jersey company, or as a manager of a Jersey limited liability company.
- directly or indirectly take part in or be concerned in the promotion, formation or management of a Jersey company or Jersey limited liability company.
However, Jersey will issue a special licence allowing banned directors to stay in their roles temporarily – but only to meet legal or regulatory requirements.
Unlike the UK, Jersey won’t automatically remove banned directors. A further law change is needed for that which is being considered.
No director disqualification designations have been made to date under any UK sanctions regime.
Further details are provided in the Sanctions legislation update: director disqualification sanctions on the Jersey Gazette.
More information on sanctions can be found on the Government of Jersey and Jersey Financial Services Commission (JFSC) websites.