FACT WIKI · Institution
Charities Regulator
Charities Regulator
Ireland's Charities Regulator is the operational English name of the Charities Regulatory Authority, the statutory body established under the Charities Act 2009 to perform the functions assigned to it by that Act.
Roles and functions
The Charities Act 2009 provides for the Authority's establishment as part of a framework for better regulation of charitable organisations. The Act's stated purposes also include protecting charitable organisations and charitable trusts, registering charitable organisations, and establishing a tribunal to hear appeals from the Authority's decisions.
How it works
Mason Hayes & Curran explains that section 65(2) of the Charities Act 2009 allows an inspector to compel a person outside a charity's trustees or agents to produce documents, attend before the inspector or assist an investigation. The stated condition is that the inspector considers the person is, or may be, in possession of information concerning a charity's affairs.
History and changes
The Authority's statutory establishment day was 16 October 2014. Section 13 of the Charities Act 2009 provides that the body stands established on that appointed day.
In Charities Regulatory Authority v David Ellard, a 2024 case, the High Court considered the Authority's powers to require a non-charitable third party to produce documents and evidence. According to Mason Hayes & Curran's account, the proceedings arose from the Authority's appeal against a company secretary's District Court acquittal for failing to comply with a statutory demand for documents.
References
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