Charity Commission is coming to town

Northern Ireland is a step closer to having its own Charity Commission...

The Charities Bill for Northern Ireland has been introduced to the Assembly on 10 December 2007. The long awaited legislation which was originally intended to be enacted earlier this year will now proceed through the legislative process of the Assembly - a timetable should be announced shortly. Whilst the Bill has not been made public yet, it is believed that there is not much change to the Charities (NI) Order 2007 which had been laid before Westminster in January of this year.

The Charities Bill will:

• provide statutory definitions of ‘charity’ and ‘charitable purpose’
• establish a Charity Commission for Northern Ireland and a Charity Tribunal
• create a Register of Charities for Northern Ireland
• introduce the Charitable Incorporated Organisation (a new form of charitable body)
• set out new rules with regard to fundraising and collections

For background to the reform of charities legislation see NICVA's dedicated Charity Law Reform at www.nicva.org/index.cfm/section/General/key/141205CharReform.