i need help on writing about legislation?

Question

i am writing a report on alcoholics anonymous and i need to add in a bit about legislation but i dont know where to start and everything i bring up is too hard for me to understand. i would like to find information on legislation that involves alcoholics anonymous. i want the information in lamens terms though .

Answer 1

Hi Stacy,

It sounds like you need to know about the Charities Act and the Charities Commission.

The Charities Act 1993. This Act does not provide a general definition of charity. This is currently under review by the Prime Minister's Strategy Unit at the Cabinet Office. In 2002 they proposed a new definition of charity. There are 10 headings (You can look these up yourself).

There is also what is called the Pemsel classification of charitable purposes. There are 4 broad categories or 'principle divisions'.

Relief of poverty
Advancement of education
Advancement of religion
Other purposes beneficial to the community.

These were derived by Lord McNaghten in the case of
CIT v Pemsel.(1891).

Which one or more these categories do you think AA falls under?

This gives you a basic outline to start you off.

I hope this is what you wanted.

Good luck.

Answer 2

Tough to find legal findings in layman's terms, try these:

http://www.reason.com/news/show/28019.html

http://peele.net/bookstore/resisting.html

http://www.tgorski.com/Alcoholics%20Anonymous%20(AA)/AA%20-%20Yates%20vs.%20New%20Hampshire%20%20-%20Yates%20Personal%20Story%20010806.htm

http://www.peele.net/lib/aaabuse.html

http://www.angelfire.com/journal/forcedaa/court.html

Basically, AA claims to be "spiritual, not religious", but then demands that its members turn their will and their lives over to God. AA evolved out of a Christian sect known as the Oxford group. Forcing someone to attend is akin to forcing someone to go to a particular church.

AA claims that their "Higher Power" is compatible with any religion, yet they use Christian prayers, negates Free Will, and does not believe in an an omnipotent God (God cannot cure alcoholism, only grant a daily reprieve). All these things define what God is, making AA a religion unto itself, and incompatible with most religions.

Check out this link, it provides the religious roots of AA and the programs history and effectiveness:
http://www.orange-papers.org/

Answer 3

Yes, this question is a bit vague. AA is a charity - you might want to think about charity law in relation to the running of the organisation. www.charity-commission.org.uk

Answer 4

try AA webpage if any or search online (use keywords like alcohol AND related legislation). etc.

Answer 5

your question is a bit vague. if you are looking for legislation to quote, you could get it from [for example - if you are in Scotland www.scotlandlegislation.gov.uk] what is it that you are looking for?