CPICL Comparative Law Seminar Examined The Modernisation of Charity Law, at the State Library of New South Wales in Sydney.

On 8 October 2025, CPICL Fellow Dr Kim D Weinert hosted the CPICL Comparative Law Seminar, Doing Good by the Book: The Modernisation of Charity Law, at the State Library of New South Wales in Sydney.

Members of the legal profession, the judiciary and the public attended in strong numbers, reflecting wide interest in contemporary developments across the charity sector. CPICL gratefully acknowledges Prolegis Lawyers for kindly sponsoring refreshments for the talk.

The seminar explored how charity law - once anchored in centuries-old case law - is now shaped by modern regulatory frameworks that reflect today’s financial realities and complex social values. In this talk, three experts in charity law explored how it is evolving and why that matters. Who decides what counts as a charity? How do we balance private efforts with the public good? And what happens when complex issues like religion, disability and welfare come into play?  

Drawing on perspectives from Australia, New Zealand and England, the discussion traced how evolving rules are redefining what it means to ‘do good’ in contemporary society. Whether for students, trustees, practitioners or anyone committed to social impact, the session offered fresh insight into how charity law is being recalibrated to meet modern expectations of accountability, purpose and public benefit.