The Charity Commission has responded after a think tank criticised the speed that it takes to conduct investigations.
Policy Exchange published a report this week on what it called “the Iranian threat to the UK”, which includes commentary on an ongoing statutory inquiry opened by the Commission in November 2022 into the Islamic Centre of England.
It reads: “The snail’s pace at which the Charity Commission consistently operates is unacceptable, unfair to both those under investigation, and to the public.”
The report adds that the recently-appointed chief executive of the Commission David Holdsworth, who will take office on 1 July 2024, “must make it his priority to sharpen the pace and the investigative focus of this organisation – it cannot continue working in the way it has hitherto”.
It adds that a “key drawback” with the Commission “is the speed that it takes to conduct inquiries, sometimes taking one-two years from announcement to culmination”.
“This perhaps reflects a legalistic approach focused purely on regulatory issues, as opposed to seeking to establish wider aspects of a charity’s behaviour or direction,” it reads.
“It is not at all clear that a change such as providing greater resources would assist in addressing this.”
A spokesperson for the Charity Commission said: “Our statutory inquiry into Islamic Centre of England remains ongoing and the interim manager, appointed by the Commission, continues to perform specific functions at the charity.
“How long an inquiry runs for will depend on the nature and scale of the concerns under investigation and other influences, including whether serving or former trustees seek to challenge the Commission's actions in the courts.
“This is one such case where we are defending a legal challenge against our decision to appoint an interim manager to the charity.”
Islamic Centre of England inquiry
Emma Moody of Womble Bond Dickinson was appointed as interim manager of the Islamic Centre of England on 4 May 2023.
Some civil society groups and individuals then called the Commission’s decision to appoint her as interim manager “politically motivated”.
In a letter sent to chair Orlando Fraser, organisations including the Islamic Human Rights Commission and the Scottish Palestinian Society, said that the regulator’s decision to appoint a non-Muslim interim manager “serves the interest of Islamophobes”.
Moody said she was appointed by the Commission on the back of her “governance expertise” and “years of experience advising charities of all faiths across the UK, including a number of Muslim-faith led organisations”.
She added: “I am committed to working collaboratively with the Islamic Centre of England, and its trustees, and our first priority and focus is to reopen the centre as soon as possible”.
Islamic Centre of England said the charity trustees are aware of the Policy Exchange report and met with its interim manager earlier this week to consider its response further.
A spokesperson for the charity said: “Our congregation, composed of individuals from diverse backgrounds, reflects the Centre’s commitment to inclusivity and harmony.
“It does not exist to further political purposes and does not promote or condone violence, hatred or discrimination of any sort.
“We have cooperated fully with the Charity Commission and other public bodies, and have remained steadfast in our commitment to transparency, accountability, and service to the community. ”
The spokesperson added that its trustees were committed to the continual improvement of its governance and would work with professional advisors, the Commission and the interim manager to achieve this.
“Our focus is on bringing to a positive conclusion the ongoing statutory inquiry so the Charity can focus on the charitable purposes” they said.
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