Watchdog steps in
Former solicitor advocate Alan Blacker has been banned from running a charity for 15 years after ignoring an earlier disqualification imposed on him by the charity watchdog.
In 2022, the Charities Commission launched an investigation into whether struck off solicitor Blacker had continued to play a role in the Joint Armed Forces Legal Advocacy Service (JAFLAS), a legal advice charity he founded in 2000.
The probe came after Blacker, otherwise known as ‘Lord Harley’, seemingly ignored an automatic disqualification, barring him from serving as a charity trustee or senior manager until October 2024. This disqualification followed his nine-month suspended jail sentence for benefit fraud in 2020.
The Commission has now concluded its investigation into Blacker and JAFLAS, finding that the trustees failed to demonstrate a clear distinction between the charity and a private company controlled by Blacker. This, it said, was “demonstrated by the similarities in the names of both entities and a proposed transfer of the charity’s assets into Dr Blacker’s business, which is not permitted in charity law”.
The Commission also noted that donations made through the charity’s website went to Blacker’s account, “which may have misled the public into believing they were supporting a registered charity”. This led the inquiry to conclude that Blacker’s continued involvement in JAFLAS “amounted to serious misconduct and/or mismanagement in the administration of a charity”.
The Commission added that it was unable to establish how the charity’s objectives were being met, or if the charity was operating for the public benefit.
Blacker has been disqualified from being a charity trustee or holding a senior position in a charity for 15 years. JALFAS was dissolved in 2022 and removed from the public register of charities. Three other trustees were also disqualified for between seven and 10 years.
Amy Spiller, head of investigations at the Charity Commission, said:
“The commission is clear that a disqualified individual cannot continue to act in a position of power within a charity. However, our inquiry found that Dr Blacker held a dominant position at JAFLAS prior to and following his automatic disqualification.”
You can read the full report here.
Blacker first hit headlines in 2014 following a bust-up with a judge at Cardiff Crown Court. Unhappy with the then solicitor’s appearance, the judge described him as “like something out of Harry Potter” thanks in part to a number of colourful ribbons attached to his robes.
Amidst national newspapers’ fascination with a quirky comparison, Legal Cheek uncovered the true story: Blacker’s remarkable LinkedIn profile. Notable highlights included his roles as a Transactional Analysis Psychoanalytical Psychologist, a Fellow of the Zoological Society of London, a Licensed Boiler Examiner, and a Stanford University graduate, among numerous other accomplishments.
Blacker was struck off in 2016 after multiple misconduct charges were proven.