The government has launched a consultation on proposals to prevent people convicted of specified hate-related offences from serving as charity trustees or senior managers in England and Wales.
The measures, announced on 14 October 2026 by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, would extend existing automatic disqualification rules that already apply to convictions for terrorism and certain other serious offences.
What ministers are proposing
Under the proposals, a conviction for a specified hate-related offence would trigger automatic disqualification from charity trusteeship or senior management. The consultation will consider the scope of those offences and how the safeguards should operate.
Ministers also want the Charity Commission for England and Wales to have broader discretionary powers to disqualify individuals where evidence shows that they have promoted violence or racial or religious hatred. This proposed discretionary route is distinct from automatic disqualification following a qualifying conviction.
Government and regulator response
Civil Society Minister Vicky Foxcroft said the proposals are intended to prevent charities being used to promote hatred or violence while protecting legitimate debate and campaigning.
Charity Commission chief executive David Holdsworth emphasised the importance of lawful freedom of speech and said the regulator's powers must keep pace with emerging risks.
The department said the Charity Commission had opened more than 400 cases examining potential wrongdoing in charities in the context of the Middle East conflict since October 2023, and made more than 80 police referrals where it considered that an offence might have occurred. Referrals are not convictions or findings of criminal liability.
Consultation, not a change in law
The consultation runs for ten weeks and closes on 22 December 2026. The government says it will review submissions from charities, trustees, sector organisations and members of the public before publishing its response.
The proposed new bans and discretionary powers are not yet in force. Their final wording and implementation will depend on decisions following the consultation and any required legislative changes.