Charities Act (Northern Ireland) 2008

Powers for preservation of charity documents

51.—(1) The Commission may provide books in which any deed, will or other document relating to a charity may be enrolled.

(2) The Commission may accept for safe keeping any document of or relating to a charity, and the charity trustees or other persons having the custody of documents of or relating to a charity (including a charity which has ceased to exist) may with the consent of the Commission deposit them with the Commission for safe keeping, except in the case of documents required by some other statutory provision to be kept elsewhere.

(3) Where a document is enrolled by the Commission or is for the time being deposited with the Commission under this section, evidence of its contents may be given by means of a copy certified by any member of staff of the Commission generally or specially authorised by the Commission to act for this purpose; and a document purporting to be such a copy shall be received in evidence without proof of the official position, authority or handwriting of the person certifying it or of the original document being enrolled or deposited as aforesaid.

(4) Regulations made by the Department may make provision for such documents deposited with the Commission under this section as may be prescribed by the regulations to be destroyed or otherwise disposed of after such period or in such circumstances as may be so prescribed.

(5) Subsections (3) and (4) shall apply to any document transmitted to the Commission under section 23 and kept by the Commission under subsection (3) of that section, as if the document had been deposited with the Commission for safe keeping under this section.