Part 1

Charities
Chapter 9

Charity trustees and senior managers

Appointment

Appointment of charity trustees
70A
1
OSCR may, on the request of a charity, appoint a person as an interim charity trustee for the charity where—
a
the charity has an insufficient number of charity trustees to be able to appoint a charity trustee under its constitution, and
b
the charity’s constitution does not provide a mechanism for appointing a charity trustee in such circumstances.
2
OSCR may, of its own accord or on the representation of any person, appoint a person as an interim charity trustee for a charity where OSCR is satisfied that—
a
the charity has no existing charity trustees,
b
all of the charity’s existing charity trustees either—
i
cannot be found, or
ii
are not acting and are not expected to resume acting, or
c
the number of the charity’s existing charity trustees who fall within sub-paragraph (i) or (ii) of paragraph (b) is such that the charity is unable to make a request under subsection (1).
3
OSCR
may appoint more than one
interim
charity trustee under subsection
(1) or
(2), but only as many as is necessary for the charity to be able to appoint charity trustees under its constitution
without requiring involvement from charity trustees who cannot be found or are not acting
.
4
A person appointed as an
interim
charity trustee under subsection
(1) or
(2)—
a
is appointed for the period of 12 months (or such shorter period as
OSCR
thinks fit) starting with the date of appointment, and
b
has the same functions as a charity trustee appointed under the charity's constitution.
5
Despite subsection (4)(a), if—
a
at the end of the period mentioned in that subsection, the charity is
... not (but for the
interim
charity trustee) able to appoint a charity trustee under its constitution
without requiring involvement from charity trustees who cannot be found or are not acting
, and
b
OSCR
, the majority of the charity trustees (or if only two trustees, either of them) and the
interim
charity trustee agree to an extension,
an
interim
charity trustee's period of appointment may be extended by one period of up to three months starting with the expiry of the original period of appointment.
5A
For the purpose of subsection (5)(b), no account is to be taken of any charity trustees who cannot be found or are not acting.
6
Nothing in subsections (1) to (5) prevents a person appointed as an
interim
charity trustee by
OSCR
under subsection
(1) or
(2) from being appointed as a charity trustee by the charity under its constitution.
7
But the
interim
charity trustee may not vote on whether to make such an appointment.
8
Where an
interim
charity trustee is appointed as a charity trustee under the charity's constitution, the person's appointment as an
interim
charity trustee comes to an end on the date of that subsequent appointment.
9
For the purposes of subsection (1), a request is the request of a charity if it is from—
a
the majority of the charity trustees of the charity, or
b
if there are only two charity trustees of the charity, either of them.
S. 70A inserted (1.8.2010) by Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010 (asp 8), ss. 126, 134(7); S.S.I. 2010/221, art. 3(2), Sch.
Pt. 1 Ch. 5A inserted (1.10.2010 for specified purposes, 1.11.2012 in so far as not already in force) by Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010 (asp 8), ss. 125(1), 134(7); S.S.I. 2010/321, art. 3, Sch.; S.S.I. 2012/218, art. 2
S. 70A(5A) inserted (1.4.2024) by Charities (Regulation and Administration) (Scotland) Act 2023 (asp 5), ss. 8(6), 21(2); S.S.I. 2024/63, reg. 2(1), sch. Pt. 1 (with reg. 3)
S. 70A(9) inserted (1.4.2024) by Charities (Regulation and Administration) (Scotland) Act 2023 (asp 5), ss. 8(10), 21(2); S.S.I. 2024/63, reg. 2(1), sch. Pt. 1 (with reg. 3)
S. 70A(1)(2) substituted (1.4.2024) by Charities (Regulation and Administration) (Scotland) Act 2023 (asp 5), ss. 8(2), 21(2); S.S.I. 2024/63, reg. 2(1), sch. Pt. 1 (with reg. 3)
Word in s. 70A(3) substituted (1.4.2024) by Charities (Regulation and Administration) (Scotland) Act 2023 (asp 5), ss. 8(3)(a), 21(2); S.S.I. 2024/63, reg. 2(1), sch. Pt. 1 (with reg. 3)
Words in s. 70A(3) inserted (1.4.2024) by Charities (Regulation and Administration) (Scotland) Act 2023 (asp 5), ss. 8(3)(b), 21(2); S.S.I. 2024/63, reg. 2(1), sch. Pt. 1 (with reg. 3)
Words in s. 70A(3) inserted (1.4.2024) by Charities (Regulation and Administration) (Scotland) Act 2023 (asp 5), ss. 8(3)(c), 21(2); S.S.I. 2024/63, reg. 2(1), sch. Pt. 1 (with reg. 3)
Word in s. 70A(4) substituted (1.4.2024) by Charities (Regulation and Administration) (Scotland) Act 2023 (asp 5), ss. 8(4)(a), 21(2); S.S.I. 2024/63, reg. 2(1), sch. Pt. 1 (with reg. 3)
Words in s. 70A(4) inserted (1.4.2024) by Charities (Regulation and Administration) (Scotland) Act 2023 (asp 5), ss. 8(4)(b), 21(2); S.S.I. 2024/63, reg. 2(1), sch. Pt. 1 (with reg. 3)
Word in s. 70A(5)(a) repealed (1.4.2024) by Charities (Regulation and Administration) (Scotland) Act 2023 (asp 5), ss. 8(5)(a)(i), 21(2); S.S.I. 2024/63, reg. 2(1), sch. Pt. 1 (with reg. 3)
Word in s. 70A(5)(a) substituted (1.4.2024) by Charities (Regulation and Administration) (Scotland) Act 2023 (asp 5), ss. 8(5)(a)(ii), 21(2); S.S.I. 2024/63, reg. 2(1), sch. Pt. 1 (with reg. 3)
Words in s. 70A(5)(a) inserted (1.4.2024) by Charities (Regulation and Administration) (Scotland) Act 2023 (asp 5), ss. 8(5)(a)(iii), 21(2); S.S.I. 2024/63, reg. 2(1), sch. Pt. 1 (with reg. 3)
Word in s. 70A(5) substituted (1.4.2024) by Charities (Regulation and Administration) (Scotland) Act 2023 (asp 5), ss. 8(5)(c), 21(2); S.S.I. 2024/63, reg. 2(1), sch. Pt. 1 (with reg. 3)
Word in s. 70A(5)(b) substituted (1.4.2024) by Charities (Regulation and Administration) (Scotland) Act 2023 (asp 5), ss. 8(5)(b), 21(2); S.S.I. 2024/63, reg. 2(1), sch. Pt. 1 (with reg. 3)
Word in s. 70A(6) substituted (1.4.2024) by Charities (Regulation and Administration) (Scotland) Act 2023 (asp 5), ss. 8(7)(a), 21(2); S.S.I. 2024/63, reg. 2(1), sch. Pt. 1 (with reg. 3)
Words in s. 70A(6) inserted (1.4.2024) by Charities (Regulation and Administration) (Scotland) Act 2023 (asp 5), ss. 8(7)(b), 21(2); S.S.I. 2024/63, reg. 2(1), sch. Pt. 1 (with reg. 3)
Word in s. 70A(7) substituted (1.4.2024) by Charities (Regulation and Administration) (Scotland) Act 2023 (asp 5), ss. 8(8), 21(2); S.S.I. 2024/63, reg. 2(1), sch. Pt. 1 (with reg. 3)
Word in s. 70A(8) substituted (1.4.2024) by Charities (Regulation and Administration) (Scotland) Act 2023 (asp 5), ss. 8(9), 21(2); S.S.I. 2024/63, reg. 2(1), sch. Pt. 1 (with reg. 3)
Pt. 1 Ch. 9 title substituted (30.6.2025 for specified purposes, 31.8.2025 in so far as not already in force) by Charities (Regulation and Administration) (Scotland) Act 2023 (asp 5), ss. 6(4), 21(2); S.S.I. 2025/168, reg. 2(1)(2)(3), sch. Pts. 1, 2