Disqualification

Trustee eligibility is not a matter of judgement. A person is either disqualified or not, and the charity must check before appointment.

The grounds cover matters such as unspent convictions for dishonesty, bankruptcy and related measures, removal from a charity by a regulator, director disqualification, terrorist financing designations and sex offender notification requirements. Scotland runs to thirteen heads under its own Act, four of them added in 2025.

Collect signed declarations at appointment and refresh them — see trustee declaration. A waiver can sometimes be granted by the regulator.