Guidance: Suspension of a director

The question of suspending directors from office is a challenging one. The need to consider the removal of an individual is incredibly difficult for all involved and it is imperative that a fair and transparent process is followed and recorded. 

Most importantly, a director can only be suspended from office if your organisation has the explicit power to do so in its governing document. If you need support with this, contact our Advice Team.

In situations where suspension is being considered, high levels of professionalism and integrity are required for anyone involved in the process. We would always recommend that those who are internally accountable for following the process of suspending a serving director seek independent external advice and support from an expert. 

Co‑operatives UK can be your first point of call in seeking confidential expertise in how to handle situations where the actions of a director present a significant risk to your Society. 

The guidance, which can be downloaded below, provides an outline of the principles and procedures for a Society when suspending one of its serving directors during a process to consider their removal from the board of directors. It is intended to be adopted by the board in advance of the need to rely on the power in the Rules to suspend a director from office.