Jonathan Fowles

Jonathan provides advice, related drafting, and representation in all areas of charity law. He is particularly known for his technical excellence and ability to find solutions to complex problems in both litigation and non-contentious advice. He sometimes works in teams of lawyers with specialisms in complementary areas of law, but will often work on his own, including, where appropriate, directly for a charity or its trustees.

In addition to advising and representing the Attorney General, Jonathan also advises ministerial government departments and, in the past, has advised the Charity Commission on charity law. Much of his work is confidential and reputationally sensitive.

Recent Cases

• Free Grammar School of John Lyon within the Town of Harrow-on-the-Hill v Attorney General [2025] EWHC 849 (Ch) and [2024] EWHC 2857 (Ch) – Acted for the Attorney General on Harrow public school’s application for a cy-près scheme, in which the Court considered for the first time s.75ZA, Charities Act 2011, and ss.7 and 11, Public Schools Act 1868. The case is also of significance in the law of charitable corporations.
• Mohammed v Daji [2024] EWCA Civ 1247 – Acting for successful claimants in dispute about charitable trusts of an extensive site in East London; the judgments of the Court of Appeal and High Court contain important analysis of trusts arising from charity appeals.
• Merton LBC v Nuffield Health [2023] UKSC 18 – A landmark case on public benefit and charitable relief from non-domestic rates.
• Re NGO (2023) – Advising an internationally renowned organisation about its charitable status
• Re Legacies (2021-23) – Advising household-name English charity about proper approach to hundreds of historic bequests and donations
• Naik v Charity Commission (2020) – Acted for an internationally renowned Islamic preacher in an appeal from disqualification by the Charity Commission.
• Re RSPCA (2018-19) – Advising RSPCA on governance reform.