Update on Family First New Zealand from the Independent Charities Registration Board

Published 26 May 2017

In April 2013 the Independent Charities Registration Board (‘the Board’) made a decision to remove Family First New Zealand from the Charities Register. 

That decision was appealed to the High Court by Family First. 

In August 2014 the Supreme Court’s Greenpeace decision considered whether advocating a particular point of view may be charitable. That judgment did not determine Greenpeace’s charitable status. It referred the Greenpeace application back to the Board for determination and currently Greenpeace is not a registered charity.

In June 2015 the High Court directed the Board to reconsider the Family First decision in light of the Supreme Court Greenpeace judgment.  

As directed by the High Court, the Board has been reconsidering whether Family First meets the criteria to be a registered charity. Applying the reasoning of the Supreme Court, the Board has now issued a notice of intention to remove Family First. 

A final decision has not been made. 

Family First can object to the notice and provide further information to the Board. 

Any objection and information from Family First will be reviewed and considered by the Board before a final determination is made. 

In the meantime, Family First remains a registered charity.

 

Roger Holmes Miller

Chair, Independent Charities Registration Board