Trial of Carillion Chair and CEO Cancelled 

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16 October 2023

A trial involving the former Carillion Chair and interim CEO has been cancelled by the Insolvency Service, as proceedings are “no longer in the public interest”. 

In a trial due to begin this week (Monday 16 October), Philip Green and Keith Cochrane were set to have disqualification proceedings brought against them under the s6 Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986. This comes less than two weeks after Richard Howson, who was director of Carillion Plc between 2011 and 2017, was banned from holding directorship roles for eight years.

The cases against the remaining five non-executive directors, Keith Cochrane, Andrew Dougal, Philip Green, Alison Horner and Ceri Powell has been cancelled.

A spokesperson for the Insolvency Service told ThisWeekinFM: “With regards to the case against the remaining 5 non-Executive directors Keith Cochrane, Andrew Dougal, Philip Green, Alison Horner and Ceri Powell, the Secretary of State is obliged to keep the public interest in all cases under constant review, and it was concluded that continuing with the proceedings against the Non-Executive Directors was no longer in the public interest. On that basis the parties agreed that the proceedings should be concluded by way of agreement and without the need for a trial or the associated expense. This concludes the proceedings.”

Five Erskine Chambers from the defence team commented that the result represented “a major triumph” and that “the case was legally flawed, based on primarily an erroneous contention that directors owe a strict duty to know the true financial position of the company.”

Picture: a photograph of a brown wooden gavel on a wooden table. Image Credit: Pexels

Article written by Ella Tansley | Published 16 October 2023

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