The Charities Act 2006 was the biggest overhaul of charity law in the UK for 400 years.
The Act reforms charity law and regulation to:
One of the most fundamental changes was that charities would no longer be presumed to provide public benefit, but would have to prove that they do so in order to retain their charitable status and accompanying tax breaks.
The new law did not come into effect immediately after Royal Assent in November 2006. Instead various parts are being brought into force in sequence, starting from early 2007.
An implementation plan sets out this process and indicates when the various provisions of the Act will come into force.
The implementation plan was updated in November 2007 to reflect the latest position.
The new law that consolidates all charity legislation for England and Wales received Royal Assent yesterday.
The review of the Charities Act should re-examine the way that Attorney General’s references play out in the sector, according to Charity Tribunal president Alison McKenna.
The Law Commission has indicated that it plans to examine charity legislation after Lord Hodgson has concluded his review of the Charities Act, and there may even be another draft charities bill produced in 2015.
Remuneration of trustees and potential alternatives to the Charity Tribunal are just two areas that the NCVO’s Charity Law Advisory Group will examine as part of its review of the Charities Act 2006.
Rosie Chapman provides a whistle-stop tour of the terms of reference of the NCVO's review of the Charities Act 2006.
Stephen Lloyd has been appointed as the expert lawyer to advise Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts on the review of the Charities Act 2006.
The point of law that the Charity Tribunal is clarifying this week in a four-day hearing on benevolent funds, involving at least eight barristers and several more solicitors, is a hypothetical question, counsel for the Attorney General has admitted.
Conservative peer Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts has been chosen to lead the government’s review of the Charities Act 2006.
An attempt to clarify the term 'charitable purpose' in the Charities Bill was revoked last night at the Bill's Committee stage first sitting in the House of Lords.
NCVO has set up a new group to lead an independent review of charity law, which will shadow the work of the government’s own review of the Charities Act 2006 due to start in November.
Swansea University has become the second largest registered charity in Wales. Established in 1920, the university is part of a new wave of Welsh educational institutions to be registered by the Charity Commission following the implementation of the Charities Act 2006.
The University of Portsmouth Students’ Union has already secured a £15,000 grant since becoming the first student union in the country to register as a charity with the Charity Commission last week.
The Independent Schools Council's election manifesto demands that the Charity Commission end its "illegal" interpretation of public benefit.
Exempt charities and the effects of the Charities Act 2006
Andrew Malin explains the background to changes in the regulation of exempt charities in England and Wales, and offers an early insight into the approach of the Higher Education Funding Council for England to its new role as a principal regulator.
Trustee remuneration: what are the rules?
This article by Penny Chapman considers the impact of the Charities Act 2006 (the Act) and recently updated Charity Commission guidance on various aspects of trustee remuneration.
The Affinity Trust, formerly TACT UK, is appointing an independent pay committee to determine how much its board members should be paid, while at the same time applying for charitable status.
Keeping your legacies after a merger
When the Charities Act 2006 included a provision for a register of mergers, the benefits seemed clear. But it's not proved as straightforward as everyone hoped, says Debbie Nunn.
The Office of the Third Sector and the Charity Commission have launched a consultation on the draft details of what the new legal form for charities, the Charitable Incorporated Organisation, might look like and the rules it will have to follow
The Charities Act 2006 brought in changes which allow charity trustees to be paid for providing their charities with goods and services, and guidance published in June 2008 by the Charity Commission clarifies how boards should handle both these types of payments and general trustee expenses.
Breach of trust
Most trustees know that being "in breach of trust" raises the possibility of being personally liable. What exactly is "breach of trust" and in what circumstances does this lead to personal liability?
The Charity Commission launched further draft supplementary public benefit guidance for charities, with the publication of Public Benefit and the Advancement of Education and Public Benefit and Fee-charging.
Whistleblowing duties and the Charities Act 2006
Janet Slade and Neville Brownlee explore issues around material significance and whistleblowing.
Emerging mergers
Are the new merger provisions a problem or panacea?
Guidance on public benefit
The Charity Commission has recently published its general guidance for charities on public benefit.
Property - Charities Act 2006
What property changes has the Charities Act 2006 introduced?
A trustee who has recently joined the board of an international charity registered in England is expected to visit one foreign project every other year and is embarrassed to ask about who pays for the cost of these visits.
Spending endowments
There is good news in the Charities Act 2006 for charities wishing to spend some or all of their permanent endowment
KCLSU: a change of culture
In 2006 King's College London Students' Union became a company limited by guarantee. Steve Vaid, its chief executive, discusses his role, and the future of the charity.
Charities Act: it's been a long time coming...
Anne-Marie Piper looks at the aspects of the Charities Act 2006 which will impact on the governance of charities.
Since you inquired...
Fraud, malpractice, misapplication and an excess of emotiveness: some recent inquiries - and what charities can learn from them.
