Arnold Bloch Leibler recently hosted the Annual Conference for the Charity Law Association of Australia and New Zealand (CLAANZ) in the firm’s Melbourne office.
CLAANZ established the annual conference to address the legal and related practical issues surrounding the charity and not-for-profit sector.
The central theme of this year’s conference was a reflection on 10 years of charity law regulation in Australia and New Zealand. Attendees were treated to an abundant program where lawyers, academics, regulators and other experts addressed topics ranging from whether the architecture of charity law is fit for purpose, through to tax concessions and governance challenges. The Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury, Andrew Leigh MP, also provided a reflection on past and future regulation for the Sector.
The conference opened with a panel on First Peoples and Charity Law, during which the attendees heard from Monica Morgan, the Chief Executive Officer of the Yorta Yorta Nation Aboriginal Corporation and Mihiarangi Piripi, Managing Director of Whaia Legal in New Zealand, about First Nations’ perspective of the legal framework in which they are required to operate. Arnold Bloch Leibler Special Counsel Bridgid Cowling rounded out this panel with some thought-provoking reflections on the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006, comparing its attempt at providing flexible corporate governance with the ACNC governance standards model.
Arnold Bloch Leibler Senior Associate, Caitlin Edwards also contributed her insights to the day, challenging attendees to interrogate the place of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) considerations in charity law and practice, including the fundamental question of the compatibility of ESG with the core charitable requirement of pursuit of purpose.
To find out more about CLAANZ events, click here.
Congratulations to CLAANZ Chair Dr. Ian Murray, and the CLAANZ Board, for putting together such a stimulating conference.
