Now that we have a date for the Australian federal election on 3 May and campaigning has begun, it is timely to reflect on what charities can and cannot do in terms of their advocacy during the election campaign.
Please join experts Alex Milner (Milner + Huang), Samantha Loff (Herbert Smith Freehills) and Kiera Peacock (Ripple) in discussing key tips and traps for charities when conducting issues based advocacy, but ensuring that they comply with their ACNC and other obligations.
28 - 29 July 2025We are delighted to announce that the 2025 CLAANZ Annual Conference will be held over one and a half days on 28 and 29 July at the Victorian Bar (Owen Dixon Chambers East, Level 5, 205 William Street) Melbourne, as well as streamed online. The ACNC Regulators' Day will follow on 30 July in Melbourne and online.
The conference will explore contemporary issues in charity law, with a focus on charities in Australia and New Zealand.
We encourage you to save the date for what we are sure will be a fantastic event. For those travelling, please note that the conference will kick off around 2pm on the first day.
As part of our Key Cases Series, CLAANZ held a special webinar on the recent controversies and litigation in the United States involving foreign assistance, including suspensions and terminations of USAID as well as other US foreign assistance.
Professor Mark Sidel (University of Wisconsin-Madison), Emeritus Professor Myles McGregor-Lowndes (QUT), and Seak-King Huang (Milner + Huang) discussed:
-Policies and methods used by the US government to target civil society organisations working overseas, and the litigation and other responses to that;
-Whether Australian government funding for organisations working overseas could be withdrawn using similar methods to those employed by the US government;
-Cases including Department of State, et al. v. Aids Vaccine Advocacy Coalition, et al. No. 24A831, Supreme Court of the United States (5 March 2025) and National Council of Nonprofits et al. v. Office of Management and Budget et al., No. 1:25-cv-00239, United States District Court for the District of Columbia (3 February 2025); and
-Implications of the suspensions and terminations of USAID and other US government agency foreign assistance for Australian INGOs.
Tuesday 11 February 2025, 10-11am AWST / 1-2pm AEDT / 3-4pm NZDTWatch the recording on YouTube
Watch the recording on YouTube
Download the slides and the Oration speech
The Legal Practice Section's Charities and Not-for-Profit Committee, the Charity Law Association of Australia and New Zealand (CLAANZ) and the University of Melbourne Law School hosted the fifth John Emerson Oration and CLAANZ Annual Lecture in Melbourne on 13 November 2024.
The Oration was delivered by Emeritus Professor Myles McGregor-Lowndes:
From Frontierland to Tomorrowland: A Magical Journey Through the Four Enchanted Realms of Unincorporated Associations Unincorporated Associations: History, Foreign Jurisdictions, Emerging Forms and Reform.
We will wish upon a star and enter the four lands of unincorporated associations. Frontierland with tall tales and true of unincorporated associations from the legendary past. Adventureland is the wonderland of exotic unincorporated association creatures from across the globe. Fantasyland is the happiest kingdom of them all, with SLAPPed Facebook Beagle Warriors and decentralised autonomous organisations fueled by magical digital coins. Tomorrowland is the promise of things to come. What could the legislative scientists in the parliamentary laboratories and the judicial wizards of the high citadel do to benefit future generations?
The John Emerson Oration is in honour of John Emerson AM. John retired from Herbert Smith Freehills, where he was a partner for almost four decades. He remains recognised as an expert in the tax laws applicable to charities in Australia. John was also a member of the Board of Taxation and a number of other legal and public sector committees. He was a key contributor to the reform of laws which led to the establishment of the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission. John is a Member of the Order of Australia for services to law and to the community, particularly through the provision of advice to charities and not-for-profit organisations and the development of public administration reform to encourage philanthropy in Australia.
In promoting its objective of charity law education, CLAANZ holds an Annual Public Lecture, which is open to anyone with an interest in charity law and the not-for-profit sector. The Annual Lecture addresses key, contemporary legal issues in the charity and not-for-profit sectors in Australia and New Zealand.
In order to ensure value for membership and to continue to provide high quality online events, we will be introducing a small fee for webinar tickets for non-members. Our new ticketing model for each webinar will be the following:
For Australians
Members: Free
Non-members: A$55 (GST inclusive)
Student or concession non-members: A$30 (GST inclusive)
For New Zealanders
Members: Free
Non-members: A$50 (GST exclusive)
Student or concession non-members: A$25 (GST exclusive)
Members will have received their code to access complimentary tickets.
As always, we work to ensure our events are accessible to everyone, regardless of personal circumstances. If you are experiencing hardship and would still like to attend, please contact us.
Please note - if you are seeking legal representation or advice: This is not a law firm and we are therefore unable to provide any legal advice, nor are we able to recommend any law firms. These sites may be of assistance to you: Australian Bar Association; Australian Pro Bono Centre; Australian Law Societies.