New Legal Entity

Two people with Amnesty International logos on their t-shirts looking down at a room of people.

Background to changing legal entities

We are developing a new Trust Deed as part of the process of Amnesty International Aotearoa New Zealand changing to be a Charitable Trust.

Amnesty International Aotearoa New Zealand is currently an Incorporated Society.

However, legislation governing Incorporated Societies was changed, meaning if we wanted to remain an Incorporated Society, we would need to make changes and re-register to comply with the new law.

Given this, it was a good opportunity to take a step back and ask – what is the best legal entity for us? Is it still an Incorporated Society, or would another legal entity suit better, such as a Charitable Trust?

To work through these questions, a range of hui were held, this included discussion at Annual General Meetings (AGM). Following these discussions, at the 2024 AGM, the members of Amnesty resolved to proceed with the transition from an Incorporated Society structure to a Charitable Trust structure.

Developing a new Trust Deed

To move to a Charitable Trust, a new Trust Deed (like a constitution for the organisation), had to be developed.

The Deed has been developed with a Working Group (which included two longstanding Amnesty members), the Board and the national office Senior Leadership Team, along with advice from Parry Field Lawyers.

The draft Deed went through two rounds of consultation with Supporters, with a number of changes made as a result. Alongside this consultation, the Deed went through several legal reviews to make sure it met the requirements of relevant legislation. There has been rich, in-depth discussion on many different points. With this discussion, the advice from the Working Group, feedback from supporters during consultation, and legal advice, we are confident this Deed provides a strong constitutional foundation for the organisation.

A massive thank you to everyone who shared their thoughts. Every submission was considered carefully, and the insights were deeply appreciated. Information can be found on the first round of consultation. In the second round of consultation most of the feedback related to editing changes to help with readability, and support for particular clauses in the Deed, such as requiring a Supporter Charter. There was also one suggestion relating to the Supporter Trustee role and the potential for this role to rotate amongst different people.

Thank you to everyone who took part in this process, and a special thank you to the Working Group.

The Deed is now presented for voting on at the AGM to enable the transition to a Charitable Trust. You can find out more here.