The Charity Commission, at 1pm today, released its long awaited report on the findings of its investigation into Oxfam, and its resultant conclusions. The Commission’s role in overseeing the operation of charities is well-known; but what is particularly interesting in this case is the Commission’s examination of Oxfam’s culture and the way that that culture affected its operations, and allowed the scandal to arise.

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Following the National Portrait Gallery’s public refusal to accept a significant donation from the Sackler family, the Tate and the Prince’s Trust also announced their intentions to refuse any future donations from the family. These are the latest in a series of charities making difficult decisions regarding so called ‘tainted’ donations. We look at the importance of the need for trustees to understand their responsibilities in relation to fundraising.

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In a world where technology is rapidly changing, people’s legacies are becoming increasingly complicated and fragmented. Specialist Deanna Hurst discusses the importance of making sure your family know the value of your collections and assets, and how our unique Life Safe portal can help you do this.

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Restless Development, a British youth charity, is the latest charity subject to accusations of sexual misconduct and systemic neglect. Volunteers claim that staff, and other volunteers, were involved in sexual relationships with pupils at placement schools and each other. They also report being forced to stay in unsafe accommodation and made to travel with taxi drivers under the influence of alcohol. Those who raised concerns say that these were dismissed by senior staff who put complaints down to “failing to adapt” to circumstances.

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Our firm has been accepted as a corporate partner of the Institute of Legacy Management (ILM) – one of only 12 other firms of solicitors selected in the country.

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We have contributed to a public consultation run by the Office of Tax Simplification on how the UK’s inheritance tax regime could be made simpler and more accessible.

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The UK’s charity sector is under close scrutiny, both nationally and internationally, following allegations that Oxfam workers were involved in the hiring of prostitutes and engaged in sex parties whilst working on earthquake relief projects in Haiti and a humanitarian mission in Chad. But what can the sector learn from these events going forward?

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Jacqui Lazare, specialist charities solicitor, considers how the increased scrutiny and regulation of charities reminds us of the importance of good governance, and how to ensure any risks are mitigated as much as possible.

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Specialist charity solicitor, Jacqui Lazare, considers the implications of the Electoral Commission’s announcement that charities must declare all campaign spending since June 2016.

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Last year, we warned about the pitfalls surrounding personal data and the hefty fines many companies received from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), showing how easy it is for companies to fall foul of data protection legislation. The ICO is once again proving it has got teeth, however this time it is a number of charities that have been named, shamed and fined.

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