For lawyers working within
the voluntary sector, the primary regulator is of course the
Charity Commission. Our charity lawyers regular deal with the
Charity Commission and we know a number of Commission staff
through our work. This gives us access at a number of levels
to help us achieve results on time or to avoid pitfalls where
necessary. We are fully familiar with the Senior Liaison
officer role in the Charity Commission's Large Charities Unit.
We strive to achieve a
businesslike but respectful relationship with the Commission staff
in order to achieve our clients' objectives. We have found a
straightforward approach that sets out the requirement clearly,
indicates when and why timescales may be tight, and a realistic
understanding of constraints on both sides, is most productive.
Recent examples of our
dealings with the Charity Commission include an application for the
transfer of small trusts and funds into general funds and the
release of permanent endowment under provisions introduced to the
Charities Act 1993 by the Charities Act 2006 and a Section 8
Inquiry into a question of remuneration of a charity Chief
Executive.
