Purpose Trusts Flashcards
What are the two exceptions to the beneficiary principle?
I.e. there must be Bs who can enforce the terms of the trust
- Charitable purpose trusts
- Non-charitable purpose trusts (specific, exceptional cases; the ‘Endacott’ exceptions)
Both can be trusts without having Bs
What are the benefits of trusts having charitable status?
- No requirement to comply with B principle
- More flexible re certainty of objects
- No limit on duration (can exist in perpetuity)
- Cy-pres doctrine
- Tax benefits
How does the rule against remoteness of vesting (125 years) apply to charitable trusts?
Indetfinite?
- The property held on charitable trust must vest in the charity within that period
- But capital which vests in charity Ts will continue to be held by Ts and used for purpose unless property runs out; can exist indefinitely (if well managed)
Cf usual trusts which are extinguished once capital distributed to Bs
How does the rule against alienability apply to non-charitable purpose trusts? Is there wait-and-see?
- Assets cannot be tied up on trust for longer than (period of a life plus) 21 years
- No wait and see rule; must be clear from outset trust must end within perpetuity period
How are the rules on certainty more flexible for charitable purpose trusts than private trusts? What can C do if there is an uncertainty as to how intention should be carried out?
Re intention
- Sufficient there is an intention to apply property for charitable purpose
- If uncertainty as to how intention is to be carried out = T can direct that property be applied for such charitable purposes as they select
- Court will strive to resolve any uncertainty and hold trust valid once charitable intent established
I.e. 3 certainties more flexible
For non-charitable purpose trusts, how must purposes be so defined? And how is uncertainty of objects treated?
- Purposes must be so defined that if Ts surrendered their discretion, the court could carry out the purposes declared
- Will be void for uncertainty of objects if (means of achieving) purpose is unclear
Normal rules of certainty of objects apply to non-charitable purpose tru
What are the three requirements for a charitable purpose trust?
First being for charitable purpose
- For charitable purpose
- Satisfy public benefit test
- Wholly and exclusively charitable
What is a ‘charitable purpose’?
1st requirement for a CPT
One of the 12 heads of charity or under the further head
What are the 12 heads of charity?
- The prevention or relief of poverty
- The advancement of education
- The advancement of religion
- The advancement of health or the saving of lives
- The advancement of citizenship or community development
- The advancement of the arts, culture, heritage or science
- The advancement of amateur sport
- The advancement of human rights, conflict resolution or reconciliation or the promotion of religious or racial harmony or equality and diversity
- The advancement of environmental protection or improvement
- The relief of those in need because of youth, age, ill-health, disability, financial hardship or other disadvantage
- The advancement of animal welfare
- 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
What is the further head?
The extra head of charity allowing the recognition of further charitable purposes by reference to previous case law and analogy to recognised charitable purposes
What is covered by the prevention or relief of poverty? Destitution? Temporary?
1/12
- ‘Going short’; does not mean destitution (can be lesser poverty but still poverty)
- Can be temporary (financial hardship) or inferred (‘provision of soup kitchen’)
- Must not benefit rich
What is covered by the advancement of education? Will it always cover an ‘increase in knowledge’?
2/12
- Not confined to formal instruction in educational institution; can include training, research or broader education in development of individual capabilities
- Wide range of organisations: museums, galleries, libraries, pre-schools, summer schools, teacher-training organisations, exam boards, DofE
- Ancillary organisations e.g. SU (provided they further educational purposes)
- Dissemination of knowledge (publication of law reports)
- Will not cover increase in knowledge without element of educational value e.g. development of 40-letter phonetic alphabet or researching tiny details of Shakespeare plays
What is covered by the advancement of religion? What counts as a religious belief ? What must it be specifically for?
3/12
Religious belief =
1. belief in god(s) or supreme being(s) which is focus of religion (or no god at all)
2. relationship between believer and entity
3. degree of cohesion, seriousness and importance
4. identifiable positive, beneficial, moral framework
- Must be for its advancement: promotion and spreading message among mankind (religious services and missionary work)
- Also covers public masses celebrating dead; repair of churchyards;
What is covered by the advancement of health/saving lives? Will it always cover unconventional methods?
4/12
- Prevention/relief of sickness, disease or human suffering and the promotion of health
- Covers unconventional methods but must have sufficient evidence for claimed benefits
- Lifeboat associations and mountain/cave rescue missions
What is covered by citizenship/community development?
5/12
Rural and urban regeneration and the promotion of civic responsibility, volunteering, and effectiveness of charities
Focused on community rather than individual
What is covered by arts, culture, heritage or science? What must art be of? Will preservation of historic traditions always be covered?
6/12
- Art needs to be of ‘merit’ which may require expert evidence
- S’s art collection has been considered ‘junk’, whereas promotion of music of famous composer was valid
- Monuments of cultural/historical significance (to private individuals unlikely to be charitable)
- Preservation of historic land and tradition provided benefit can be shown (e.g. trust to foster study of Welsh language was held not charitable)
What is covered by the advancement of amateur sport? Must it be physical?
7/12
Sports/games that promote health by involving physical or mental skill or exertion e.g. football and chess
What is covered by the advancement of human rights? What objectives will this not cover?
8/12
- Raising awareness of human rights issues, relieving victims and securing enforcement of human rights laws
- Promotion of restorative justice and conflict resolution
- Not political objectives like seeking to change law
What is covered by environmental protection? Will everything be worthy of conservation?
9/12
Both protection and improvement of environment - preservation and conservation of natural environment and sustainable development
* May need to produce expert evidence to show why something is worthy of conservation
What is covered by the relief of those in need?
10/12
Those in need because of youth, age, ill-health, disability, financial hardshup or other disadvantage - inc provision of accomodation or care (do not need to be in poverty!)