Company No. 04999536
Charity No. 1112628
THE INTERNATIONAL LAW BOOK FACILITY
ANNUAL REPORT
For the year ended 31 December 2024
The Trustees submit herewith their Annual Report for the year ended 31 December 2024.
Various developments post 31 December 2024 have also been included where relevant for completeness and to comply with Charity Commission requirements.
Our reference and administration details (as of 31 December 2024)
| Charity Name: | The International Law Book Facility (the "ILBF") |
|---|---|
| Charity No.: | 1112628 |
| Company No.: | 04999536 |
| Registered Office: | C/o TMF Group, 13thFloor, One Angel Court, London EC2R 7HJ Note: 10 Upper Bank Street, London E14 5JJ is also used to receive donations of books and for the ILBF's banking. |
| Trustees and Directors: |
Jane Colston_(Partner, Brown Rudnick LLP) Sir James Dingemans (_Lord Justice of Appeal) –until 1 October 2024 Ms Sophia Dirir_(Head of Legal, Cancer Research UK) Philip Hill(Partner, Clifford Chance LLP) Dr Tawanda Hondora(Head, Rule of Law, Governance and Peace_ Directorate at the Commonwealth Secretariat) Paul Lowenstein KC_(Twenty Essex)(Chair of Trustees) Maryann McMahon (_Council Member, Justice) Mark Stephens CBE_(Partner, Howard Kennedy) Dame Sara Cockerill (_High Court Judge) – from 1 October 2024 |
| Patrons: | The Rt Hon The Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd_(former Lord Chief_ Justice of England and Wales) Sir William Blair_(Professor, Queen Mary University of London, _former Judge of the High Court of Justice, Queen's Bench Division) Professor Sir Ross Cranston_(Professor, London School of Economics, _former Judge of the High Court of Justice, Queen’s Bench Division) Dame Linda Dobbs DBE_(former Judge of the High Court of Justice, _Queen’s Bench Division) |
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| Mahmuda Gunner (Attendance Officer, Dulwich College) James Harper (Head of Legal, Global Nexis Solutions, at LexisNexis) Anesta Weekes KC_(Member of the International Relations_ Committee of the Bar Council) Peter Williamson_(Past-President of the Law Society) _The Hon Mr Justice Picken, Judge of the High Court of Justice, King’s Bench Division |
|
|---|---|
| Operating Committee: |
Tola Ariyo_(London School of Economics) Hannah Brown KC(One Essex Court) Rachel Buchanan(Freelance writer, copywriter and blogger) Amy Griggs-Wallis(LexisNexis UK) Miranda Harrison (_Clifford Chance) Zara Iqbal_(International Bar Association) Barbora Kozusnikova(LexisNexis UK) Goviintha Krishnan (_The United Kingdom and Eire Malaysian Law Students’ Union (KPUM)) Mikaela Kritikou_(LexisNexis UK) Ellen Lake(Rio Tinto) Franz Zubieta Mariscal (_CEO of Integrarse, a Conciliation and Arbitration Centre in Bolivia) Emma Marshall (Clifford Chance) Holly Nankivell_(LexisNexis UK) Catherine Odigie(ED&F Man Capital Markets) Abby Olushola(Afrissance Holdings) Kate Scott (_Clifford Chance) Claudia Stein (LexisNexis UK) |
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| Constance Sutherland (Thomson Reuters) Michael Taylor (Charles Russell Speechlys) Helen Wilding (Thomson Reuters) |
|
|---|---|
| Administrators and Shipping Coordinators: |
Administrator: Miranda Harrison_(Clifford Chance)_ Shipping Coordinator: from September 2023: Elaf Hamid; from September 2024: Haroon Matloob |
| Chief Executive: | Katrina Crossley |
| Company Secretary: |
TMF Corporate Administration Services Limited, 13thFloor, One Angel Court, London EC2R 7HJ |
| Bankers: | HSBC, City of London Branch, 60 Queen Victoria St, London EC4N 4TR |
Our structure, governance and management
The ILBF was incorporated as a company limited by guarantee on 18 December 2003. The company was established pursuant to a Memorandum of Association which established the objects and powers of the charitable company and is governed under its Articles of Association.
The ILBF is run by the Trustees and Operating Committee, who come from a number of organisations in the United Kingdom legal community who are committed to advancing the rule of law through the provision of legal research resources. Potential new Trustees and members of the Operating Committee may be put forward by existing members and appointed by agreement of the Trustees or alternatively Trustees may be recruited through an open recruitment process.
Informal sub-committees of the Operating Committee include the Recipients Committee, Marketing Committee and Governance Committee. These are ad-hoc groups and are not required to meet on any formalised basis; in general, however, on behalf of the Trustees and the Operating Committee, these sub-committees handle the following areas:
Recipients Sub-committee : consider potential recipients of book donations, including working to encourage potential recipient organisations to make applications to the ILBF for books, considering the applications made to the ILBF by potential recipients and working with the Chief Executive, Administrator and Shipping Coordinator to provide appropriate shipments to approved recipients, assisted in relation to Latin America by the Latin American Representative;
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Marketing Sub-committee : consider the marketing of the ILBF, including the running of the website and social media, producing various marketing materials including flyers, business cards and newsletters and attending conferences and other events to promote the ILBF; and
Governance Sub-committee : consider the governance and funding of the ILBF.
Other ad-hoc committees of the Operating Committee may be formed on a temporary basis in order to deal with specific campaigns or events – for example to consider fundraising.
The Trustees and Operating Committee are assisted with the running of the ILBF by two volunteers, usually students, who are chosen through a recruitment process to act as the Administrator and Shipping Coordinator, usually for a year. All Trustees, Patrons, members of the Operating Committee and the Administrator gave their time voluntarily to the ILBF during 2024. The Chief Executive provided their services to the ILBF on a paid consultancy basis during 2024.
Some of the partner organisations from which the Trustees and Operating Committee members come also contributed to the running of the ILBF during the period through the provision of resources, including:
Clifford Chance : who receive donations of books, catalogue the books, provide an offsite storage facility, packing spaces and packing materials, and store the shipments until the books are sent out to recipients. We are grateful for the generous donation of this time, material and logistical support in this period from Clifford Chance; and
LexisNexis : who provide marketing materials, website expertise, management of social media and donated books. As noted below, LexisNexis UK also generously contributes to the funds used for payment of Chief Executive consultancy services.
In 2024, the third ILBF law undergraduate essay competition, launched in November 2023 by the Rt. Hon. the Baroness Carr of Walton-on-the-Hill, Lady Chief Justice, was concluded and the winner announced on 4 April 2024 by Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd, former Lord Chief Justice and Fiona Rutherford, Chief Executive of JUSTICE. The winner undertook a week's work experience with the competition sponsors who were McDermott Will & Emery.
The Trustees and Operating Committee have worked hard in 2024 to ensure relationships are maintained with other legal institutions, allowing us to promote the ILBF successfully, and we look forward to working with these partners in 2025. The ILBF is appreciative of the strong volunteer base we have formed, particularly from universities advertising the opportunity to volunteer with the ILBF to their students, and collecting, donating and packing books where it has been possible to do so.
The programme of university engagement, started in 2016, continues to build. Universities are a good source of high-quality textbooks and in some cases students also assist with shipments. During 2024, student groups at two universities were engaged in supporting the ILBF: students at the University of Cambridge packed books for the West Ukraine National University in Ukraine and students at the University Nottingham collected and packed books for Victoria University, Uganda. In addition, the charity has continued its partnership with the University
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of Surrey to make the Shipping Coordinator consultancy a part of its work placement scheme for students.
The ILBF also has strategic partners, with whom it works to make particular shipments of books. These include Advocates for International Development ( A4ID ) rule of law programme ROLE UK , Justice Defenders , the UK Sierra Leone Pro Bono Network, the Slynn Foundation, the Commonwealth Justices and Magistrates Association, and the Commonwealth Lawyers Association .
Role of the Chief Executive
Katrina Crossley was engaged to provide Chief Executive consultancy services to the ILBF in June 2016. Her role is to coordinate the work of the charity including the sub-committees, work with the Administrator and Shipping Coordinator, provide reports and analysis on the progress and goals of the ILBF, develop and manage relationships with key partners, make funding applications, and market the activities of the ILBF via social media and the website. Chief Executive consultancy services are funded by donations from LexisNexis UK .
Role of the Shipping Coordinator
Elaf Hamid was engaged to provide Shipping Coordinator consultancy services to the ILBF in September 2023, and she was succeeded by Haroon Matloob in September 2024. Their role has been to process applications for books, coordinate the collecting and packing of suitable books and to arrange the collection and processing of shipments, working with the CEO. Shipping Coordinator consultancy services have been funded by a donation from Fieldfisher . In 2024, the LexisNexis Rule of Law Foundation provided further funds to be used for payment of Shipping Coordinator consultancy services.
Our mission and objectives
Our mission is twofold:
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To support the rule of law and access to justice across the globe; and
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To repurpose printed texts to help the environment and drive sustainability in the legal sector.
The objects for which the ILBF is established are to facilitate the provision of legal literature to developing and other countries for education and other charitable purposes. In pursuing these objects the ILBF aims to benefit the public by advancing the rule of law and access to justice through the provision of legal research resources across the globe.
The ILBF seeks to achieve this by providing good quality legal textbooks, donated by the UK legal community, to not-for-profit organisations in need of legal research resources across Africa, Asia, South America, the Caribbean, the Pacific and Europe. By making legal resources available to key institutions we are helping to drive education, legal consistency, authority and fairness in the legal system.
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We support the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals and in particular SDG 16, Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions, to promote the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice for all.
Our activities
The way that the ILBF works is simple. We encourage donations of useful books from the UK legal community. Prospective recipient organisations submit a comprehensive application form, outlining their user demographic and the potential uses for law books, and the subject areas they are interested in, which is assessed by the Recipients Committee. Volunteers either unpack and sort book donations or request them from the offsite storage facility, determining which are most suitable for particular recipients. The selected books are then packed into boxes and shipped by sea freight to the recipient organisation in question.
Since 2005, the ILBF has sent over 97,000 books to more than 285 not-for-profit organisations in 80 countries across Africa, Asia, South America, the Caribbean, Europe and the Pacific.
Our books are used in different ways depending on the organisation. Where the recipient is a body that provides legal or professional training (for example, Victoria University, Uganda, Fourah Bay College, Sierra Leone, Africa University Law School, Zimbabwe, West Ukrainian National University, Ukraine), ILBF books are used to train lawyers and law students. Where the recipient is a legal aid organization or charity (such as the Rwanda Christian Lawyers Fraternity, Rwanda, the Benita Okorie Foundation, Nigeria), ILBF books may be used when preparing cases or giving advice, empowering at-risk citizens through the legal system and improving local perceptions of legal process as a tool for justice. Where the recipient is a court or government body (such as the Andean Court of Justice, Ecuador, the Judicial Services Commission, Zimbabwe, the Diplomatic Academy of Peru, the Judicial Training Institute, Iraq, the Supreme Court of Judicature, Jamaica, the Senior Courts of Belize), ILBF books are used to assist the court or state lawyers and judges in grounding their decisions and analysis in established law and to provide a point of comparison with other jurisdictions.
We have referred to the Charity Commission's guidance on public benefit when reviewing our objectives and in planning future activities. In particular, the Trustees have had due regard to the public benefit guidance in considering how planned activities will contribute to the aims and objectives set for the ILBF.
We plan to continue the activities outlined above in the forthcoming years subject to satisfactory funding arrangements.
Our achievements and performance
In 2024, the ILBF sent shipments of books to recipients in Belize, Ecuador, Iraq, Jamaica, Nauru, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Turks and Caicos Islands, Uganda, Ukraine and Zimbabwe. The recipients included law schools, universities, judiciaries, ministries of justice, judicial training institutes and NGOs.
In addition, financial donations were received in 2024 from the legal community and charitable foundations which have enabled us to fund a number of shipments and will enable us to continue to send out shipments in the coming year.
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Without this support we would be unable to reach so many worthwhile recipients and we would like to thank all those who have donated books or made a financial contribution in 2024.
In particular, we extend our thanks to:
Anglo American and De Beers : who as part of the Ambassadors for Good project provided significant grants to cover the cost of shipments to Zimbabwe (January and September 2019, December 2020, November 2022, July 2024), Sierra Leone (March 2019, January 2020, December 2021, March 2023, May 2024), Zambia (July and December 2020, November 2022), Botswana (November 2022) and Bolivia (November 2022, December 2023, February 2024), Ecuador (May 2024), Peru (August 2024). They have joined members of the ILBF team on packing days and provided vital logistics support in Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Sierra Leone, Peru and Ecuador;
Brill Publishers: who have donated a significant number of books and partnered with the ILBF in their ‘Adopt a Library’ programme;
Edward Elgar : who have donated a significant number of books.
HMCTS and the Royal Courts of Justice : who regularly make significant donations of books and organise regular cake sales to raise funds;
McDermott Will & Emery: who sponsored the ILBF law undergraduate essay competition 2023-2024;
LexisNexis : for its contribution for Chief Executive consultancy services, 2023 funding for Shipping Coordinator consultancy services, packing books and donation of books;
Thomson Reuters : who donate a significant number of books, provide grants for shipping costs and regularly pack books;
If you would like to see feedback we receive from recipients of ILBF books, please see some examples from 2024's list of shipments at Appendix 1 or visit our website www.ilbf.org.uk where you will find articles about shipments as well as more feedback from recipients.
Apply for books
The ILBF has a large number of books waiting to be donated to suitable recipients. We encourage organisations which could benefit from books provided by the ILBF to submit an application. Details of how to apply for books are on our website www.ilbf.org.uk.
Donate to the ILBF
If you would like to donate to the ILBF, please refer to the 'Donate' page of our website www.ilbf.org.uk.
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If you are considering making a book donation, please note that you can help us to reduce our costs and save volunteers' time by sending only those books that meet the General Guidance on Books (available on our website) and which have been approved by the ILBF by email. Visit the 'Contact us' page on our website to get in touch.
Financial review
The ILBF is principally dependent on financial donations from the legal community to fund its activities and we are very grateful to those who have made financial donations in 2024.
The ILBF has no formal reserves policy, but we are confident that on current reserves the ILBF will be able to continue many of the current activities of the charity for some time. Should there be a significant drop in funding, the Trustees and Operating Committee have also considered the extent to which existing activities and expenditure could be curtailed, should such circumstances arise; namely through limiting the number and size of shipments and the geographical areas to which they are sent until additional funding can be secured.
However, the ILBF's policy is to continue to encourage donations from the legal community in order to continue with the activities described above, and any reserves that are built up will be retained in order to ensure activities can continue in forthcoming years.
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Signed on behalf of the Trustees:
______
Paul Lowenstein KC Chair of Trustees
APPENDIX 1
Schedule of shipments sent in the year ended 31 December 2024
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Recipient Feedback
Rwanda
Christian
Lawyers
Fraternity,
Rwanda
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‘On my own name and on behalf of Rwanda Christian Lawyers Fraternity, I would like to convey to you and ILBF our sincere and heartfelt gratitude for the gracious donation of books to Rwanda Christian Lawyers Fraternity and for their invaluable support and strong commitment for the rule of law in Rwanda. We would like to assure you that your gracious donation will greatly boost our operations , especially as we have opened up three liaison offices across the country and currently we have expanded our operations as we look to reach out to citizens across the country.’ Louis Gitinywa, Advocate and Legal Consultant specialized on Trade, Tech Law & IP Law, FOE online and Digital Rights, Rwanda Christian Lawyers Fraternity
Centre for Judicial Excellence, Papua New Guinea
The Centre for Judicial Excellence received ILBF books which were shared with the Centre and the University of Papua New Guinea Law School Library. Debbie Laudiwana of the PNG Centre for Judicial Excellence at the newly built School of Law Library in Port Moresby.
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| Recipient | Feedback | Feedback |
|---|---|---|
| Victoria | ||
| University, | ||
| Kampala, | ||
| Uganda | Seening | — |
| ‘Victoria University is extremely excited and humbled about this generous donation | |
|---|---|
| and appreciates you a lot for the good heart to grow our law faculty. These books | |
| will not only simplify our teaching of law at Victoria University but also make it | |
| possible for our law students to receive quality knowledge from the right resources. | |
| Thank you very much for this donation.’Steven Mubiru, Librarian, Victoria | |
| University | |
| University | ‘We are currently in the process of arranging to collect the books from the port. We |
| of Iringa, | are finalizing some internal mechanisms and awaiting the Vice Chancellor’s |
| Tanzania | approval before proceeding to collect them. The delay in finalizing this matter has |
| been occasioned by recent leadership transitions at the University, which have | |
| temporarily affected the pace of decision-making. We sincerely regret any | |
| inconvenience this may have caused and reaffirm our commitment to completing | |
| the process as swiftly as possible.’Nassoro Karim, Legal Officer, University of | |
| Iringa | |
| Supreme | |
| Court of | ‘The books have arrived in Nauru, but they are currently in storage, awaiting |
| Nauru | clearance, as storage fees need to be paid. The books are stored in a container along |
| with other government departmental items.’Ronald Prakash, Registrar of Courts, | |
| Nauru Judiciary | |
| Fourah | |
| Bay | |
| College, | |
| Sierra | |
| Leone |
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Recipient Feedback
‘ILBF donated books are now housed in the Law Faculty Library and are accessible to students and faculty members who use the library. The donation enriched the collection and the range of titles we now have. Indeed, hundreds of these books—are now in circulation, with many students and faculty benefiting from the expanded available resources. The lecturers are increasingly comfortable referring students to the library across various branches of law, thanks to the substantial collection we now possess. The donations from specifically the ILBF and the UK Sierra Leone Pro Bono Network have significantly enhanced the library’s holdings, broadening the spectrum of materials available to our students and staff. The Faculty of Law and Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone, deeply appreciate your generosity, which has contributed immensely to the depth and quality of study for our students. These books are easing the pressure on our students in their search for materials as our environment is challenged by internet connectivity, making online access difficult’. Dr. Emmanuel Saffa Abdulai, Head of Department, Department of Legal Studies, Fourah Bay College
Andean Court of Justice, Ecuador
The books were received by the President of the Court, Inigo Salvador Crespo, who reopened the Court’s library. The Court says that ‘this source of knowledge will serve as a reference resource for judges, judicial officials, and other users.’
Benita ‘We are sincerely grateful for the generous book donation from the International Law Okorie Book Facility. The materials have been an invaluable addition to the Benita Okorie Foundation Foundation's legal resource collection. They have significantly enhanced our ability to support aspiring legal professionals and researchers within our network, , Nigeria particularly those with limited access to up-to-date legal texts. The books have been instrumental in facilitating our legal literacy workshops and in strengthening our community library. Their presence has already begun to make a meaningful impact on the quality of legal education and engagement in our programmes.Thank you once again for your continued support and the important work ILBF is doing globally.’ Mr Okorie Ifeanyi, Benita Okorie Foundation
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Recipient Feedback Legislative Legislative Drafting & Advocacy Practitioners in Drafting & Nigeria received ILBF books which were donated to Advocacy Salem University Lokoja, Justice S. J. Adah College of Law. Practitione . ge 8s il rs, Nigeria ‘The National Universities Commission (NUC) which is the regulator of universities in Nigeria gave the approval of the Faculty of Law, Salem University Lokoja after they physically inspected the law books donated by the ILBF. Possession of hardcopies of law books is an essential criterion for accreditation of Faculty of Law of Universities in Nigeria by the NUC. The management of Salem University Lokoja are > Be. extremely grateful to the ILBF for the donation. ’ Dr. Tonye Clinton Jaja z m1 Bae i She n Turks and ‘These resources will significantly enhance our Faculty of Humanities and Liberal Caicos Studies Associate Degree programmes, particularly in fields such as Criminal Islands Justice, Economics, Politics, and Law. These titles, such as The New Legal Realism, Communit Advanced Introduction to International Human Rights Law, and Introduction to International Criminal Law, among others, will prove to be invaluable to our students y College, and faculty. They align well with our curriculum and will undoubtedly support both Turks and teaching and research efforts.’ Jodi-Ann Weir, Librarian, Turks and Caicos Caicos Community College Zimbabwe, Ezekiel TO. eee af =D ask Guti [ , aN ? a € University, Africa = a 429 Nie ae University Sag Law School, = aeGa gy" A i; ¥ Judicial ‘ Se toy Peete 1 Se = 4 Services ” SS —— ae e : “i Handover of books to Ezekiel Guti University, Africa University Law School and Commissio the Judicial Services Commission, Zimbabwe with the assistance of the Anglo n American team in Zimbabwe.
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Recipient Feedback
Diplomatic
Academy,
Peru
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‘Thanks to the ILBF and its donations, our students, Peru’s future diplomats, have access to key legal resources that are going to strengthen their understanding of law and diplomacy.’ Gerardo Talavera, Deputy Director of Investigations and Financial Cooperation at the Diplomatic Academy of Peru "Javier Perez de Cuellar"
Constitutio nal Court, Peru
Handover of ILBF books to the Constitutional Court, Peru
Supreme Court of Judicature of Jamaica
‘We would like to express profound thanks and appreciation for your efforts in providing us with these publications. We have received the items in good condition and are in the process of processing them to include in our collection.’ Janette Bailey Powell (Mrs.), Chief Librarian, Supreme Court of Judicature of Jamaica
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----- Start of picture text -----
Recipient Feedback
Kwara
State
Judiciary,
Nigeria
| |
The High Court of Kwara State, Nigeria, including Hon Justice Olawoyin Ibijoke
Olabisi, with the books they received. The librarians also participated in an online
training programme with experts from BIALL.
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West Ukrainian National University law library, Ukraine
‘On behalf of West Ukrainian National University and the entire academic community, I would like to express our heartfelt gratitude for your generous donation of books on International and European law to the European Law Library at our University, the unwavering support you have demonstrated towards Ukraine and Ukrainians in these difficult conditions of war, russian invasion of Ukraine… Your thoughtful contribution has come at an extraordinary time for Ukraine, as our country faces the unprecedented challenges of war. Amidst these difficulties, the pursuit of education and research in the field of International and European law, comparative law has become not only an academic necessity but also a vital beacon of hope and resilience for our students and scholars. The books you have donated will significantly enrich our library’s resources, providing invaluable support for the study and advancement of International and European law. They will serve as a cornerstone for academic growth, aiding our researchers and students as they strive to uphold the principles of justice, democracy, and the rule of law during these trying times.’ Oksana Desyatnyuk, Rector, West Ukrainian National University
Judicial Training Institute, Iraq
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~~a~~ Recipient Feedback
ILBF books were handed over to the Judicial Training Institute and Supreme Judicial Council by the British Embassy in Baghdad. The books will support legal studies and research, international co-operation and mutual understanding between the UK and Iraqi Judiciaries.
Senior Courts of Belize
‘Your donation of essential texts is particularly significant as our Senior Courts library was devastated by Hurricane Lisa. With the establishment of a new library in the recently renovated Court Treasury Building, these legal texts will play a crucial role in restoring and expanding our legal resources. Your generosity ensures that judges, legal practitioners, and scholars once again have access to critical materials necessary for legal research, case preparation, and professional development.’ Chief Justice Hon Mde Louise Esther Blenman
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APPENDIX 2
Directors' Report and Accounts for the year ended 31 December 2024
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Company No: 04999536 Charity No: 1112628
THE INTERNATIONAL LAW BOOK FACILITY
DIRECTORS' REPORT AND ACCOUNTS
for the year ended 31 December 2024
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF THE INTERNATIONAL LAW BOOK FACILITY
Independent examiner’s report to the trustees of the International Law Book Facility (‘the Company’)
I report to the Company’s trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Company for the year ended 31 December 2024.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the charity’s trustees of the Company (and also its directors for the purposes of company law) you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 (‘the 2006 Act’).
Having satisfied myself that the accounts of the Company are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of your Company’s accounts as carried out under section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the 2011 Act’). In carrying out my examination I have followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5) (b) of the 2011 Act.
Independent examiner’s statement
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe:
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accounting records were not kept in respect of the Company as required by section 386 of the 2006 Act; or
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the accounts do not accord with those records; or
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the accounts do not comply with the accounting requirements of section 396 of the 2006 Act other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination; or
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the accounts have not been prepared in accordance with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice for accounting and reporting by charities applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102).
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Viran Daya
Chartered Accountant (Zimbabwe) (ICAZ)
5 Braemore Court
Cockfosters Road
Barnet
EN4 0AE
Date: ………………………………………2025 26 September
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THE INTERNATIONAL LAW BOOK FACILITY
Registered Office: C/O TMF Group, 13th Floor, One Angel Court, London EC2R 7HJ
DIRECTORS' REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024
Accounts
- The directors submit herewith their report together with the financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024.
Objectives and activities
- The Company was incorporated to facilitate the provision of legal literature to developing and other countries for educational and other charitable purposes; registered number 04999536. It has charitable status under registration number 1112628.
In 2024 the company sent several shipments of books to recipients in Belize, Ecuador, Iraq, Jamaica, Nauru, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Turks and Caicos Islands, Uganda, Ukraine and Zimbabwe. Recipients included judiciaries, Law schools, universities, government bodies and NGOs.
Directors, trustees and professional advisors
- The directors of the Company at 31 December 2024 who, unless otherwise stated, have been directors for the whole of the year ended on that date were:
Ms Jane Colston Sir James Dingemans (until 1 October 2024) Dame Sara Cockerill (from 1 October 2024) Mrs Sophia Dirir-Slaats Mr Philip Hill Dr Tawanda Hondora Mr Paul Lowenstein KC Ms Maryann McMahon Mr Mark Stephens CBE
- The Company's bankers are as follows:
HSBC City of London Branch 60 Queen Victoria Street London EC4N 4TR
- The Company's secretary is as follows:
TMF Corporate Administration Services Limited C/O TMF Group
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13th Floor One Angel Court London EC2R 7HJ Strueture, Governance and management The Company's governing document is its Memorandum and Articles of Association (dated 18 December 2003) and constitutes a limited company, limited by guarantee as defined by the Companies Act 2006. Statement of directors, responsibilities Company law requires the directors to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the Company and of the surplus or deficit for that period. In preparing those financial statements, the directors were required to.. select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently. rnake judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent. state whether applicable accounting standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements. and prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that Ihe company will continue in business. The directors are responsible for keeping proper accounting e0rd$ which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the Company and to enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Acl 2006. They have the general responsibility for taking such steps &8 are reasonably open to them to safeguard the assets of the Company and to prevent and detect fraud and other irregularities. BY ORDER OF THE BOARD Paul Lowenstein KC, Director .2025
THE INTERNATIONAL LAW BOOK FACILITY
Statement of financial activities
(Including income and expenditure account) - for the year ending 31 December 2024
| Note Incoming resources Donations 3 Donations - equipment & facilities Total Incoming resources Resources expended Shipping costs from specific donations Shipping costs from general funds Consultancy services Storage and retrieval costs Incidental costs Total Resources expended Net incoming / (outgoing) resources Total funds brought forwards Total funds carried forward |
2024 2024 2024 2023 Unrestricted Restricted £33,664 £10,000 £43,664 £39,137 £196 £196 £195 |
|---|---|
| £33,860 £10,000 £43,860 £39,332 |
|
| (£8,445) (£8,445) (£5,205) (£12,933) (£12,933) (£14,344) (£15,000) (£15,000) (£15,000) (£196) (£196) (£195) (£1,275) (£1,275) (£991) |
|
| (£29,404) (£8,445) (£37,849) (£35,735) |
|
| £4,456 £1,555 £6,011 £3,597 £33,011 £6,358 £39,369 £35,772 |
|
| £37,467 £7,913 £45,380 £39,369 |
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THE INTERNATIONAL LAW BOOK FACILITY Balance Sheet- as at 31 December 2024 2024 2024 Unrestricted Restricted 2024 2023 CURRENT ASSETS Cash at bank and hand Gift Aid receivable Debtors £25,754 £463 £15,000 £41,217 £7,913 £33.667 £43,298 £463 £276 £15,000 £7.913 £49,130 £43.574 CURRENT LIABILITIES Creditors (£3,750) (£3,750) (£4,205) NET ASSETS £37,467 £7.913 £45,380 £39,369 FUNDS Capital Income funds TOTAL FUNDS £37,467 £37,467 £7,913 £45,380 £39,369 £7,913 £45,380 £39,369 For the year ended 31 December 2024 the Company was entitled to exemption from audit under section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 relaling to small companies. Directors, responsibilities: (a) The members have not required the Company to obtain an audit of its financial statements for the year in question in accordance with section 476 of the Companies Act 2006; and (b) The directors acknowledge their responsibilities for complying with the requirements of the Act with spect to accounting records and the preparation of accounts. These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies, regime. The Accounts were approvedby the Board on.......................... .2025. Paul Lowenstein KC, Director
The following notes form part of these accounts
NOTES
1 Accounting policies
The following accounting policies have been used consistently in dealing with items which are considered material to the Company's financial statements.
Basis of preparation of the financial statements
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) issued on 16 July 2014 (as updated through Update Bulletin 1 published on 2 February 2016), the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102), the Charities Act 2011, and the Companies Act 2006. The Company has applied Update Bulletin 1 as published on 2 February 2016 and does not include a cash flow statement.
The financial statements are prepared on a going concern basis.
Donations
These comprise amounts received during the year.
Donations - equipment
Equipment donated is included in the Statement of Financial Activities, Incoming resources section (with an equivalent amount in resources expended within "Incidental costs").
Donations – storage and retrieval facilities
Donations of storage and retrieval facilities are included in the Statement of Financial Activities, Incoming resources section (with an equivalent amount in resources expended within "Storage and retrieval costs").
Grants
In the case of performance related grants, income is recognised to the extent that the Company has provided the specified goods or services as entitled to under the grant.
Bank interest
Bank interest is recognised on the accounts when received.
Resources expended
Expenditure is recognised on an accrual basis as a liability is incurred.
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Value added tax
As the majority of the Company's activities are classified as exempt or non-business activities for the purposes of value added tax, the Company is unable to reclaim the value added tax it incurs on its purchases. Expenditure in these financial statements is therefore shown as inclusive of value added tax.
Taxation
No provision has been made for corporate tax or deferred tax as the company is a registered charity and is therefore exempt.
2 Trustees' remuneration and benefits
There were no trustees' remuneration or other benefits for the year ended 31 December 2022 (and the previous year) other than the re-imbursement of expenses incurred while undertaking Company business.
3 Donations
The following monetary donations were received during the year:
| Donor | Purpose | Unrestricted | Restricted | Total 2024 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LexisNexis CEO consultancy services (non-binding preference) ROLE UK Shipment costs (non- binding preference) RELX PLC (LexisNexis Rule of Law Foundation) Anglo American (via CAF) Shipping consultancy services and shipment costs Shipment costs (non- binding preference) Brown Rudnick LLP No preference given Individuals No preference given |
£15,000 £3,564 - £5,098 £6,000 £3,815 |
- - £10,000 - - |
£15,000 £3,564 £10,000 £5,098 £6,000 £3,815 |
|||
| Gift Aid Total with Gift Aid |
£33,477 £187 |
£10,000 | £43,477 £187 |
|||
| £33,664 | £10,000 | £43,664 |
The Company engaged Katrina Crossley to provide CEO consultancy services, which was funded by donations from LexisNexis held within unrestricted funds (final donation received late on 15 March 2025). The Company engaged Haroon Matloob to provide
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shipping consultancy services, which were funded by donations from the LexisNexis Rule of Law Foundation held within restricted funds.
The Gift Aid receivable amounting to £187 is held within unrestricted funds.
Clifford Chance donated the use of its storage and retrieval facility held with Restore for ILBF books. The value of that donation for this year amounts to £196.
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