(1) For the purposes of the law of England and Wales, “charity” means an institution which— (a) is established for charitable purposes only, and
(b) falls to be subject to the control of the High Court in the exercise of its jurisdiction with respect to charities.
(2) The definition of “charity” in subsection (1) does not apply for the purposes of an enactment if a different definition of that term applies for those purposes by
virtue of that or any other enactment.
(3) A reference in any enactment or document to a charity within the meaning of the Charitable Uses Act 1601 (c. 4) or the preamble to it is to be construed as a
reference to a charity as defined by subsection (1).
(1) For the purposes of the law of England and Wales, a charitable purpose is a purpose which—
(a) falls within subsection (2), and (b) is for the public benefit (see section 3).
(2) A purpose falls within this subsection if it falls within any of the following descriptions of purposes—
(a) the prevention or relief of poverty;
(b) the advancement of education;
(c) the advancement of religion;
(d) the advancement of health or the saving of lives;
(e) the advancement of citizenship or community development;
(f) the advancement of the arts, culture, heritage or science;
(g) the advancement of amateur sport;
(h) the advancement of human rights, conflict resolution or reconciliation or the promotion of religious or racial harmony or equality and diversity;
(i) the advancement of environmental protection or improvement;
(j) the relief of those in need by reason of youth, age, ill-health, disability,
financial hardship or other disadvantage;
(k) the advancement of animal welfare;
(l) the promotion of the efficiency of the armed forces of the Crown, or of the efficiency of the police, fire and rescue services or ambulance services;
(m) any other purposes within subsection (4).
(2) The “required documents and information” are— (a) copies of the charity’s trusts or (if they are not set out in any extant document) particulars of them, (b) such other documents or information as may be prescribed by regulations made by the Minister, and (c) such other documents or information as the Commission may require for the purposes of the application.
(3) Where an institution is for the time being registered, it is the duty of the charity trustees (or the last charity trustees)— (a) to notify the Commission if the institution ceases to exist, or if there is any change in its trusts or in the particulars of it entered in the register, and (b) (so far as appropriate), to supply the Commission with particulars of any such change and copies of any new trusts or alterations of the trusts.
(4) Nothing in subsection (3) above requires a person— (a) to supply the Commission with copies of schemes for the administration of a charity made otherwise than by the court, (b) to notify the Commission of any change made with respect to a registered charity by such a scheme, or
(c) if he refers the Commission to a document or copy already in the possession of the Commission, to supply a further copy of the document.
(5) Where a copy of a document relating to a registered charity— (a) is not required to be supplied to the Commission as the result of subsection (4) above, but (b) is in the possession of the Commission, a copy of the document shall be open to inspection under section 3(10) above as if supplied to the Commission under this section.”
(2A) The following are “regulated alterations”—
(a) any alteration of the objects clause in the company’s memorandum of association,
(b) any alteration of any provision of its memorandum or articles of association directing the application of property of the company on its dissolution, and
(c) any alteration of any provision of its memorandum or articles of association where the alteration would provide authorisation for any benefit to be obtained by directors or members of the company or persons connected with them.