Commentary on provisions of Act Section 6: Power to direct specified action not to be taken
The Commission already has the power (in section 84 of the Charities Act 2011) to direct that a charity (or trustees) take certain actions in the context of a statutory inquiry. Section 6 gives the Commission a new power to direct a charity not to take certain actions in the context of a statutory inquiry.
	Section 6 inserts into the Charities Act 2011 a new section 84A which enables the Commission, once a statutory inquiry has been opened into a charity, and the Commission considers that any action if taken or continued by the charity or its trustees would constitute misconduct or mismanagement, may direct the charity or its trustees not to take it or continue it. In addition to specifying the action that must not be taken or continued, the order must set out the Commission’s reasons for making it.
	In addition to requiring its use only under a statutory inquiry, a further safeguard to the use of this power is that the Commission must formally review such orders at least every six months.