Jersey Director Disqualification Sanctions Amendment Law

The Director Disqualification Sanctions (Jersey) Amendment Law 202-

• Is a short piece of legislation adopted by the States of Jersey on 25 March 2026.
• Further amends two core business laws to align the island with international (particularly UK) sanctions regimes regarding disqualified directors.

What the Law Does

It introduces explicit prohibitions on appointing individuals who are subject to "director disqualification sanctions" (often called DD sanctions) in two types of Jersey entities:

• Companies (under the Companies (Jersey) Law 1991): It adds a new paragraph to Article 78A stating that a person must not be appointed as a director if they are subject to director disqualification sanctions. It also updates the definition and exceptions in that Article.
• Limited Liability Companies (LLCs) (under the Limited Liability Companies (Jersey) Law 2018): It makes a parallel change to Article 28A, prohibiting the appointment of such a person as a manager of an LLC.

Key Definitions and Exceptions

• "Director disqualification sanctions" takes its meaning from Article 5A(1) of the Sanctions and Asset-Freezing (Implementation of External Sanctions) (Jersey) Order 2021. This generally covers individuals designated under UK-style sanctions that specifically disqualify them from acting as directors (or in equivalent management roles). These sanctions often apply automatically to people who were directors of UK companies at the time of their designation.
• The prohibitions do not apply to anything done in accordance with a licence issued under Article 5B of the same 2021 Order. Jersey has issued general licences in this area to provide limited relief in certain cases, subject to reporting requirements.

This Amendment Law builds on an earlier 2025 Order that

• Already made it an offence for sanctioned individuals to act as a director/manager or participate in the promotion, formation, or management of Jersey companies/LLCs.

The 2026 Law adds a clear upfront ban on appointment to close any potential loopholes and ensure consistency with the broader sanctions framework.

Citation and Commencement

• The Law is cited as the Director Disqualification Sanctions (Jersey) Amendment Law 202-.
• It will come into force on a date to be specified by Order from the Minister for External Relations (the dates for sanction by His Majesty in Council, registration by the Royal Court, and commencement are still to be inserted as of the adopted text).

Purpose and Context

• The changes help Jersey maintain a robust sanctions compliance regime, particularly by mirroring or implementing aspects of UK director disqualification sanctions.
• This is important for Jersey's reputation as a well-regulated international financial centre.
• Companies and LLCs (and their corporate service providers) will need to conduct appropriate checks before appointing directors or managers to avoid breaches.

Here is the amendment law

Director Disqualification Sanctions (Jersey) Amendment Law 202-

A LAW to further amend the Companies (Jersey) Law 1991 and the Limited Liability Companies (Jersey) Law 2018.

• Adopted by the States- 25 March 2026
• Sanctioned by Order of His Majesty in Council- [date to be inserted]

Registered by the Royal Court- [date to be inserted]

Coming into force- [date to be inserted]

THE STATES, subject to the sanction of His Most Excellent Majesty in Council, have adopted the following Law –

Article 78A (directors disqualified under sanctions regulations) of the Companies (Jersey) Law 1991 amended

(1)   This Article amends Article 78A of the Companies (Jersey) Law 1991.

(2)   After paragraph (1) there is inserted –

(1A)   A person must not be appointed as a director of a company if the person is subject to director disqualification sanctions.

(3)   For paragraphs (2) and (3) there is substituted –

(2)   For the purposes of this Article and Article 79, “director disqualification sanctions” has the meaning given in Article 5A(1) of the Sanctions and Asset-Freezing (Implementation of External Sanctions) (Jersey) Order 2021.

(3)   Paragraphs (1) and (1A) do not apply to anything done in accordance with a licence issued under Article 5B of that Order.

2   Article 28A (managers disqualified under sanctions regulations) of the Limited Liability Companies (Jersey) Law 2018 amended

(1)   This Article amends Article 28A of the Limited Liability Companies (Jersey) Law 2018.

(2)   After paragraph (1) there is inserted –

(1A)   A person must not be appointed as a manager of a limited liability company if the person is subject to director disqualification sanctions.

(3)   For paragraphs (2) and (3) there is substituted –

(2)   For the purposes of this Article and Article 28B, “director disqualification sanctions” has the meaning given in Article 5A(1) of the Sanctions and Asset-Freezing (Implementation of External Sanctions) (Jersey) Order 2021.

(3)   Paragraphs (1) and (1A) do not apply to anything done in accordance with a licence issued under Article 5B of that Order.

3   Citation and commencement

This Law may be cited as the Director Disqualification Sanctions (Jersey) Amendment Law 202- and comes into force on a day to be specified by the Minister for External Relations by Order.

The text above is from  the official adopted version  

Official References (for copy-paste)

• Main page (HTML): https://www.jerseylaw.je/laws/pending/Pages/DirectorDisqualificationSanctionsAmendmentLaw202-_ADOPTED.aspx
• PDF version: https://www.jerseylaw.je/laws/pending/PDFs/DirectorDisqualificationSanctionsAmendmentLaw202-_ADOPTED.pdf

Additional Useful Background Links

• States Assembly proposition (P.25/2026) with explanatory details: https://statesassembly.je/publications/propositions/2026/p-25-2026
• Government of Jersey page on the draft Law: https://www.gov.je/Government/PlanningPerformance/Pages/MinisterialDecisions.aspx?docid=1E0B6923-EC09-49EC-84E6-FDC4C589762A
• Earlier related sanctions update (2025 Order introducing the disqualification offence): https://www.gov.je/gazette/pages/sanctionslegislationupdatedirectordisqualificationsanctions.aspx