Can a charitable trust be valid, notwithstanding the existence of non-charitable purposes? The landmark decision of the Royal Court of Jersey In the Matter of the Estate of the Late Constantin Mattas

Abstract In a recent judgment regarding the Jersey moveable estate of a Greek national (In the Matter of the Estate of the Late Constantin Mattas 2024JRC068), the Royal Court decided several issues of trusts and probate law, some novel, and some which go to the very heart of the question of what constitutes a valid Jersey trust. Most notably, the Court held that, in the present case involving a trust for both charitable and non-charitable purposes, the failure of the non-charitable purpose resulted in the whole of the assets of the Trust being held for the benefit of the charitable purpose, rather than the failure of the trust as a whole.