Nowhere to hide for company heads

Nowhere to hide for company heads

Prospective company directors will soon have no way of hiding their home addresses from public access, according to high profile lawyers and accountants.

In its final report, the company law review group recommended that directors’ residential addresses remain in the public domain, unless directors are ‘at genuine risk of violence’ as in the extreme case of the directors of Huntingdon Life Sciences.

But the Law Society claims no provision has been made in the company law review for ‘prospective’ directors to file a confidentiality order allowing them to withhold their home addresses.

Peter Wyman, a fervent critic of the disclosure of directors’ addresses and one of the UK’s most high profile accountants, said: ‘I think (the proposals) don’t go far enough.

‘There is no public interest in directors’ addresses being available. There is a growing trend for people being intimidated at their homes.’

Wyman warned of growing security concerns for the children of directors as well as the issue of privacy.

There is a clear belief among many campaigners that the publication of personal details implies a right to protest outside the homes of directors as well as their place of work. It is a right they steadfastly reject.

Wyman, along with others concedes that directors names and addresses should still be submitted to Companies House so that the relevant authorities are able to contact the necessary people in the event of liquidation.

Despite the warnings, however, the government has indicated that it will implement the review’s recommendations.

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