The court considered the charitable status of a trust established for the teaching of Socialised Medicine included demonstrating that ‘the full advantage of Socialised Medicine can only be enjoyed in a Socialist State’.
Held: A charitable purpose must not be propagandist. The public must be presented with neutral information so that they can choose for themselves. Goulding J said: ‘I am quite unable to avoid the conclusion that the main or dominant or essential object is a political one. The testator never for a moment, as I read his language, desired to educate the public so that they could choose for themselves, starting with neutral information, to support or oppose what he called ‘socialised medicine’. I think he was trying to promote his own theory of education, if you will by propaganda, but I do not attach any importance to that word.’
Judges:
Goulding J
Citations:
[1975] 1 WLR 1596, [1975] 1 All ER 721
Jurisdiction:
England and Wales
Charity
Updated: 08 May 2022; Ref: scu.556772
