Previous handling director Nicholas Brown consented to a seven-year disqualification order last May as part of a Competition and Markets Authority probe into a demolition cartel which saw 10 companies fined almost ₤ 60m.
Brown was among 4 directors handed disqualification orders following the examination.
Last July he used to the High Court for consent to continue to serve as a director and to be associated with the management of Brown and Mason Limited, and its holding business NRLB Limited, on the basis that the business required his ongoing services as a director.
The High Court provided its judgment today declining Brown’s application after concluding that giving leave in this case “would be an extremely excellent invasion into the general public advantage of this disqualification.”
Juliette Enser, the CMA’s Senior Director of Cartels, stated: “Director disqualifications are a crucial tool for safeguarding the general public– and making certain those at the top of the chain are called to account if their business breach competitors law. Bid-rigging and other prohibited, anticompetitive practices, imply that services and customers can wind up paying over the chances or getting even worse services.
“Personal effects, such as director disqualification, are an effective deterrent– something which the Court’s choice plainly identifies. By turning down Mr Brown’s demand, the Court’s judgment has actually revealed that safeguarding the general public must not be weakened.”
Brown might now stay in post at Brown and Mason Group Limited and NRLB Limited topic to rigorous conditions for a run-off duration ending on 28 July 2024 to make it possible for shift at the business.
After that he will not be allowed to serve as a director or take part in the management of any business up until 29 July 2030.