Our decision

OSCR will decide whether a charity’s name is ‘objectionable’ in the following situations:

1. on application to register a new charity or incorporate a SCIO
2. on application for consent to change the name of a charity
3. on request from a charity that considers that the name or working name of another charity is too like its name
4. where OSCR becomes aware at any other time (for example in the course of an inquiry) that a charity’s name or working name is objectionable.

What happens if we decide a name is objectionable?

Application to become a charity: During the process of applying for charitable status if we think the name or working name you are proposing is objectionable we will give you an opportunity to reconsider and change the name or working name of the proposed charity. If you don’t change the name of the proposed charity and we consider that the name is objectionable, we must refuse the application. If we refuse your application to become a charity we will give reasons for our decision and provide information on how to request a review of the decision.

Application to change charity name: If your charity is seeking our consent to change name and we consider that the new name is objectionable we will refuse our consent or direct the charity not to change its name. We may also refuse to consent if we cannot satisfy ourselves through making inquiries that the proposed name is not objectionable. If we do this we will explain our reasons and give you information on how to ask us for a review. You can also ask us to give consent to a different name from the one you first proposed, for instance if we have identified issues with that first proposal.

In cases where we become aware of an objectionable name or working name in an existing charity, we will contact the charity trustees to alert them to the issue and to take action to resolve it (probably for instance by seeking our consent to change the name). If they do not do so, then we must direct the charity to change its name. In the case of a working name and we may direct the charity to stop using the working name within a particular timescale. Where the issue is that two charities have names that are too like to each other, we must direct one or both charities to change their name.