Catalogue description Number not used; Formerly: Charity Commission: Exempt Charity Cases: Registered Files

Under section 18 of the Charities Act 1960, the Charity Commission's jurisdiction is for certain purposes concurrent with that of the High Court except for the exempted institutions contained in schedule 2 of the same Act. This means that they are not subject to the Commission's powers of inquiry and are not required to register on the grounds that they have an alternative regulatory regime.

Under section 24 of the same Act, trustees of exempt charities have the same right as other charity trustees to apply for the Commission for opinion or advice about the performance of their duties. Most files were on novel points of law where trustees did not wish to go to the expense of an application to the Court.

Exempt charities were permitted to register voluntarily with the Commission until the passage of the Charities Act 1992. The older universities, Eton and Winchester Colleges, grant maintained schools, national museums and galleries and certain government organisations fall within the definition of exempt charities.