Rabbi to return £2.35m to charities after investigation by National Crime Agency – The Guardian

Posted April 5th, 2024 in assets recovery, charities, Judaism, national crime agency, news by michael

‘A rabbi has agreed to return £2.35m to charities that he was holding in his personal bank accounts for a number of years without a legitimate explanation.’

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The Guardian, 5th April 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

MPs accuse Charity Commission of legal breach over climate sceptic thinktank – The Guardian

Posted April 5th, 2024 in charities, Charity Commission, climate change, complaints, lobbying, news by michael

‘The Charity Commission is facing a legal challenge by MPs over its failure to investigate campaigning by a thinktank that questions climate science.’

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The Guardian, 5th April 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

Businesses braced for new recycling law challenges – BBC News

Posted April 5th, 2024 in charities, company law, environmental protection, fines, news, waste by michael

‘Cost, space and contamination are some of the worries facing business owners as a new workplace recycling law comes into force across Wales.’

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BBC News, 4th April 2024

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

New guidance clarifies when UK universities must refuse donations – OUT-LAW.com

Posted April 4th, 2024 in charities, Charity Commission, gifts, news, trusts, universities by tracey

‘Recently published guidance from the Charity Commission tries to provide clarity on when donations to English and Welsh charities, including universities, should – or must – be refused or returned, but the question of when to say no remains complex and nuanced.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 3rd April 2024

Source: www.pinsentmasons.com

Law reform charity brings tribunal challenge over police forces withholding Prevent data – Local Government Lawyer

‘The First Tier Tribunal has heard a Freedom of Information (FOI) appeal over the refusal from police forces to release anonymised data relating to the controversial anti-terrorism programme Prevent.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 23rd January 2024

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Majority verdicts in England and Wales brought in ‘partly for racial and class reasons’ – The Guardian

Posted January 24th, 2024 in bias, charities, criminal justice, equality, juries, miscarriage of justice, news by sally

‘The introduction of majority verdicts in criminal trials in England and Wales was partly motivated by a desire to dilute the influence of minority ethnic people and the labouring classes serving on juries, according to research.’

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The Guardian, 24th January 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

Kent charity fined over escape of ‘ladies’ man’ emu – BBC News

Posted January 15th, 2024 in animals, charities, community protection notices, fines, local government, news by tracey

‘An animal charity has been given a £100 fine after a “ladies’ man” emu escaped.’

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BBC News, 13th January 2024

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Asylum accommodation to be excluded from social housing landlords crackdown – The Guardian

‘Accommodation used to house tens of thousands of asylum seekers, often the worst in the UK when it comes to damp and mould, will be excluded from a crackdown on landlords managing social housing, the Guardian has learned.’

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The Guardian, 15th January 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

Case Comment: London Borough of Merton Council v Nuffield Health [2023] UKSC 18 – UKSC Blog

Posted January 4th, 2024 in charities, fiduciary duty, health, local government, news, rates, Supreme Court by sally

‘In this post, Lisa Fox, a senior associate in the litigation team at CMS, comments on the decision by the Supreme Court in London Borough of Merton Council v Nuffield Health [2023] UKSC 18. The issue before the Supreme Court was whether Nuffield Health is entitled to mandatory relief from non-domestic rates in respect of its occupation of its members-only gym under the Local Government Finance Act 1988.’

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UKSC Blog, 3rd January 2024

Source: ukscblog.com

Government plan to use biomass in breach of Climate Change Act, charity argues – Local Government Lawyer

‘A charity is threatening the Government with a judicial review over its biomass strategy, arguing that the plan, which is part of the effort to cut greenhouse gas emissions, is in breach of the Climate Change Act 2008.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 15th November 2023

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Magistrates in England not following law on remand decisions, charity finds – The Guardian

‘Magistrates are not following the law when sending thousands of people to jail on remand, exacerbating the prison overcrowding crisis in England, a report suggests.’

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The Guardian, 9th November 2023

Source: www.theguardian.com

Captain Tom’s family lose appeal against demolition of spa complex – The Guardian

Posted November 8th, 2023 in appeals, charities, conflict of interest, local government, news, planning by sally

‘The family of Captain Sir Tom Moore have lost a planning application appeal for a spa complex in their garden and have been given three months to demolish the structure.’

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The Guardian, 7th November 2023

Source: www.theguardian.com

Charities ‘concerned’ over lack of progress with Renters Reform Bill – BBC News

Posted October 16th, 2023 in bills, charities, housing, landlord & tenant, news, repossession by tracey

‘A group of 30 charities and non-profit organisations have urged the Prime Minister to pass a bill to ban “no-fault” evictions.’

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BBC News, 16th October 2023

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Charity Commission guidance on charities and social media – Law & Religion UK

Posted September 19th, 2023 in charities, Charity Commission, internet, news, trusts by sally

‘The Charity Commission has published new guidance for England and Wales on charities and social media. It begins:

“Social media can be a powerful communication tool for charities, to raise awareness and funds and to better engage beneficiaries. It can help charities reach a much wider audience, much more quickly, than traditional methods of communication.”‘

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Law & Religion UK, 18th September 2023

Source: lawandreligionuk.com

Charities can campaign on ‘issues that provoke strong emotions’ – watchdog – The Guardian

Posted September 18th, 2023 in birds, charities, Charity Commission, government departments, news, ombudsmen by sally

‘Charities should not hold back from engaging in political activity and on emotive issues on social media such as race or immigration, even where they risk triggering controversy, the voluntary sector watchdog has said.’

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The Guardian, 17th September 2023

Source: www.theguardian.com

ClientEarth to face costs bill in directors’ liability case – Law Society’s Gazette

‘Campaigning law charity ClientEarth will have to foot its opponent’s costs in its failed attempt to hold directors of Shell personally responsible for the oil company’s environmental policies, the judge in the case has ordered. In ClientEarth v Shell plc & Ors, The Honourable Mr Justice Trower rejected an attempt under the civil procedure rules to claim a derogation from the ‘unsuccessful party pays’ principle.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 1st September 2023

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Charity Commission inquiry: Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Britain – Law & Religion UK

Posted August 10th, 2023 in charities, Charity Commission, child abuse, clergy, inquiries, news by tracey

‘The Charity Commission has published the findings of its inquiry into the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Britain.’

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Law & Religion UK, 9th August 2023

Source: lawandreligionuk.com

Mermaids v LGB Alliance: Tribunal rejects attempt to deregister controversial charity – UK Human Rights Blog

‘Despite what the parties and their supporters hoped, this case (Mermaids v The Charity Commission of England and Wales & LGB Alliance [2023] ULKFTT 563 (GRC)) was not – said the Tribunal – about the rights of gender diverse people (as represented by Mermaids) or the rights of gay, lesbian and bisexual people (represented by the LGB Alliance). On the face of it, the issue decided by the Tribunal (General Regulatory Chamber, Charity) on 6 July 2023 was a narrow one: whether Mermaids was entitled to challenge the Charity Commission’s decision to register the LGB Alliance as a charity. But its ruling – that Mermaids could not – was highly significant as a robust affirmation of the value of debate in a democratic society.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 29th July 2023

Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com

ClientEarth loses high court fight with Shell over climate strategy – The Guardian

Posted July 25th, 2023 in charities, climate change, company directors, energy, news by sally

‘An environmental law charity has lost an attempt to revive a lawsuit against Shell over its climate strategy after the high court in London refused permission to bring a case against the energy company.’

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The Guardian, 24th July 2023

Source: www.theguardian.com

Transgender group loses challenge over gay rights charity’s status – The Independent

‘A transgender rights group has lost its case to have a gay rights organisation stripped of its charitable status in what is believed to be the first case of its kind in the UK.’

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The Independent, 6th July 2023

Source: www.independent.co.uk