{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/companies-act-2006/section-251",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/companies-act-2006/section-251.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/2006/46",
  "legislation_title": "Companies Act 2006",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/companies-act-2006",
  "path": "section/251",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "251",
  "heading": "“Shadow director”",
  "text": "(1) In the Companies Acts “shadow director”, in relation to a company, means a person in accordance with whose directions or instructions the directors of the company are accustomed to act.\n(2) A person is not to be regarded as a shadow director by reason only that the directors act —\n(a) on advice given by that person in a professional capacity;\n(b) in accordance with instructions, a direction, guidance or advice given by that person in the exercise of a function conferred by or under an enactment;\n(c) in accordance with guidance or advice given by that person in that person's capacity as a Minister of the Crown (within the meaning of the Ministers of the Crown Act 1975)\n(3) A body corporate is not to be regarded as a shadow director of any of its subsidiary companies for the purposes of—\nChapter 2 (general duties of directors),\nChapter 4 (transactions requiring members' approval), or\nChapter 6 (contract with sole member who is also a director),\nby reason only that the directors of the subsidiary are accustomed to act in accordance with its directions or instructions.",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Words in s. 251(2) substituted (26.5.2015) by Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015 (c. 26), ss. 90(3), 164(3)(g)(iii)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/46/section/251",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T09:13:40.060156+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}