Key facts
- Trustees may have breached charity and company law by accepting free guest tickets.
- Legal advice suggests offenses were committed by trustees approving accounts stating no benefits were received.
- Guest tickets were potentially provided for up to 20 years.
- Bafta decided to end the practice of providing guest tickets to trustees from 2025.
- An independent review group is examining historic guest ticket arrangements.
Bafta trustees may have breached charity and company law by accepting free guest tickets for themselves and a guest at the organization’s awards ceremonies, according to claims made by Michael Pritchett, chair of its membership council. Pritchett stated that legal advice obtained at his own expense suggested offenses were committed by trustees who approved accounts that declared no remuneration or benefits were received. He claimed the practice had been ongoing for up to 20 years, with second tickets selling for £2,000. Bafta's governing document states trustees may not receive benefits. Bafta's outgoing chair, Sara Putt, announced the board decided to end the practice of providing trustees with a guest ticket from 2025, and an independent review group is examining the historic arrangements.