THE JULIAN ASSANGE DEFENCE FUND

These are the Terms applicable to The Julian Assange Defence Fund (“the Fund”) This is a fund through 

which well-wishers can assist Julian Paul Assange (“Julian”) with financial support to defend legal 

proceedings against him. All contributions to the Fund are received solely on the basis of these terms and 

Julian and all contributors agree to be bound by them.   

  

Overview (see clause 33) 

The Fund may only be used for Julian’s legal defence. It is held by Hazlems Fenton LLP chartered 

accountants in a specially designated bank account, and  it can receive donations on Julian’s behalf. 

Details of the bank account are given below. The Fund is supervised by a voluntary Committee. If at the 

end of all litigation there is a surplus in hand, efforts will be made to return the net balance in hand to 

contributors, other than anonymous contributors. Any remaining funds in hand will be given to charities 

or non-profit bodies which have freedom of speech or freedom of information as a principal aim. 

Purposes and Definitions 

1. The purpose of the Fund is to pay for or towards Julian’s legal costs in defending or bringing 

any litigation in any court (civil or criminal) and whether in the UK, Sweden, the US, or any 

other jurisdiction. Such litigation includes the defence of criminal charges or other formal 

process already brought or which may be brought against Julian personally in Sweden and the 

USA and extradition processes relating to those charges or other formal process.  

2. The purpose of the Fund also covers paying for or towards expenses in connection with any 

legal or administrative matters which the Committee (see below) considers are reasonably 

necessary to defend or protect Julian. By way of example, these expenses could be or be 

concerned with extradition, release from arrest, dealing with bail or surety/security for bail (but 

it will not be used for the giving of security for the bail), the cost of obtaining legal advice and 

legal services for him and expert evidence, payments ordered by any Court to be made to any 

opposing party, and the costs of operating and defending the Fund.  

3. In these Terms 

“the Account” means any bank account holding any part of the Fund  

“the Administrators” means the firm of accountants who for the time being hold or maintain the 

Account and the Fund  

“the Committee” means the Committee as it is made up from time to time.  

“Expenses” means all the payments which can properly be paid out of the Fund under 

paragraphs 1 and 2. 

“the Fund” means The Julian Assange Defence Fund 

“the Litigation” means any kind of legal process whatsoever 

“the Purposes” means all the permitted purposes of the Fund under paragraphs 1 and 2.  4773217_1.DOC  v4  17 December 2010 

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Administration 

4. The Administrators of the Fund are  Hazlems Fenton LLP Chartered Accountants 

(www.hazlemsfenton.com) of Palladium House, 1-4 Argyll Street, London W1F 7LD UK 

(Reference RT/JA). The Administrators hold the Fund in a designated client account with: 

Bank:  Barclays Bank plc 

Name of Account: “FSI - Julian Assange Defence Fund”  

Account number: 93842452 

Sort code: 20-77-67 

BIC/Swift code BARC GB22.   

IBAN:  GB86 BARC 2077 6793 8424 52  

to which donations may be sent. The Administrators may use other designated accounts with the 

approval of the Committee.  They are not obliged to put the Fund on deposit.  

5. The Administrators will keep records of contributions into the Account and payments out of it, 

and shall establish procedures for dealing with applications for payments out of the Fund and 

for the Committee to authorise payments. The Administrators act professionally on the 

engagement of Finers Stephens Innocent LLP who in turn are acting for  Julian and not on 

behalf of the Committee. The Administrators are entitled to be paid their proper fees out of the 

Fund for the work they do in connection with operating the Fund. The Administrators will be 

the sole signatories on the Account. 

6. The Committee may engage paid staff and appoint  professional advisors to assist with the 

administration of the Fund. If reasonably necessary, and with Julian’s approval, the Committee 

may change the Administrators from time to time. If a Committee member has personally acted 

in good faith they shall not be liable for the acts or omissions of the Administrators. 

The Committee 

7. The Fund and the Account are overseen by a voluntary Committee. The role of the Committee 

is to supervise the Administrators, to receive their reports, to authorise payments out of the 

Account and to give such other approvals and do such other things as are required under these 

Terms. But the Committee shall not have any Account vested in it or in any member of the 

Committee, nor hold any part of the Fund itself, nor retain in their hands any moneys of the 

Fund, subject to the right of reimbursement and  indemnity under paragraph 12. If a member of 

the Committee receives any contribution from a Contributor it shall forthwith be handed to the 

Administrators.  

8. The Committee shall have between three and twenty members. The first Committee members 

are Gavin MacFadyn, John Pilger and Susan Benn.  The Committee may appoint additional 

Committee members or replacement members. Committee members may retire by giving 

written notice to the other Committee members, as long as at least three Committee members 

remain. If at any time the number of Committee members falls below three, those in post may 

appoint additional Committee members.  

9. The Committee may set up subcommittees to carry out the work of the Committee, including 

local subcommittees for different jurisdictions which shall replicate the arrangements set out 

here as far as possible, with appropriate changes.  Each subcommittee shall act with whatever 

autonomy the Committee as a whole delegates to it,  but a majority of members of any 4773217_1.DOC  v4  17 December 2010 

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subcommittee shall be members of the Committee, and a subcommittee shall report on its 

activities to the Committee as soon as reasonably possible. 

10. If there are five or more Committee members, then the other Committee members acting 

unanimously may by written resolution remove a Committee member (including a 

subcommittee member) whose membership of the Committee they consider to be harmful to the 

purpose or reputation of the Fund.  

11. A Committee shall reach its decisions by a simple majority, unless specified in these Terms or 

agreed otherwise by the Committee if it considers that a larger majority or unanimity is required 

for certain types of decision. The Committee may adopt and amend rules relating to its 

procedures and meetings and for the administration of the Fund, as long as these are consistent 

with the legal and professional rules which the Administrators must observe in relation to the 

Fund. 

12. The Committee may do anything which is incidental or conducive to the exercise of its 

functions. The powers of the Committee may be exercised at its absolute discretion and from 

time to time as occasion requires.  Committee members shall be entitled to be reimbursed their 

out of pocket expenses, and shall be entitled to an indemnity out of the Fund for any claims 

made against them personally arising out of their being or having been members of the 

Committee.  But the Committee will not make any charge for their own time or charge any 

professional fees to the Fund. 

Amendment of these Terms 

13. The Committee may make amendments to these Terms from time to time if it considers that it is 

fair and reasonable to do so, with the approval of Julian or his authorised representative, as long 

as the amendments are consistent with the legal and professional rules which the Administrators 

must observe in relation to the Fund. Amendments may be retrospective in effect. Amendments 

must be published on the website of Finers Stephens Innocent LLP.

Contributions 

14. Money contributed to the Fund, while it remains in the Account, belongs to Julian, but he gives 

the authorities and undertakings set out in paragraphs 25, 26 and 30. He undertakes for himself 

and his personal representatives that whenever required by the Administrators to do so, he will 

confirm these authorities and undertakings in writing in relation to specific payments of surplus 

moneys.  

15. Contributors to the Fund are invited to identify themselves to the Administrators when making 

contributions only for the purpose of locating them if it becomes appropriate to make a 

repayment. Subject to any legal direction to the contrary, the names of Contributors to the Fund 

will be kept confidential to the Committee and the Administrators. A Contributor who does not 

provide both their name and a contact address (postal or email) shall be deemed to be an 

anonymous Contributor. 

16. The Committee shall adopt a privacy policy and adhere to it.   

17. All Contributors undertake that they do not stand to take any personal benefit from the 

Litigation, and are not funding it as a matter of business, and that their contribution  is paid out 

of legitimate sources.  

18. The Fund is not a charity or a US 501(c) organisation, so UK gift aid, US tax exemption and 

similar preferred status in other tax jurisdictions will not be available for contributions. 4773217_1.DOC  v4  17 December 2010 

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19. Contributors, the Committee and the Administrators have no right to intervene in any Litigation, 

nor to control its course or to be kept informed about it.  Any legal advice given to Julian will be 

subject to normal lawyer-client privilege and will not be liable to be disclosed to the Committee, 

the Administrators or Contributors. 

Payments out of the Fund 

20. All payments out of the Fund will be made by the Administrators with the approval of the 

Committee, such approval not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed.  

21. The Administrators and the Committee shall not knowingly allow any payments to be made out 

of the Fund which do not fall within the Purposes. 

22. Payments out of the Fund falling within the Purposes may be made by payments to Julian for 

the purpose of discharging or recouping any Expenses, or to his duly appointed representative 

on his behalf, or direct to a third party to whom Julian is bound to make any payment. including 

payments in settlement of fees or on account of fees. The receipt of Julian’s authorised 

representative or of such a third party shall be a full discharge to the Administrators. 

Winding-up and return of contributions 

23. Contributors are not entitled to the return of  any part of their contributions, except under 

paragraphs 25, 26 or 29.  

24. At the conclusion of all the Litigation, or if at any earlier time the Committee considers that the 

Fund is no longer needed, or for any other reason whatsoever that it ought to be wound up, the 

Committee may direct the Administrators to wind up the Fund. On a winding up of the Fund the 

Administrators shall prepare final accounts, and pay any outstanding expenses of the Fund, 

including a reserve for the costs of dealing with any surplus moneys in hand, but subject to 

paragraph 20 (Committee approval).  

25. The Administrators are irrevocably authorised by Julian on the winding up of the Fund to return 

surplus moneys to Contributors in such manner as the Committee considers to be fair and 

reasonable.  This may include (but is not limited to) returning moneys pro rata; or on the basis 

that earlier contributions were expended before later contributions; or only if the contribution 

was above or below a specified amount; or only to the extent it is efficient and practical to do 

so.  

26. The Administrators are also irrevocably authorised by Julian to return all or part of any surplus 

moneys to Contributors at any time if the Committee considers that the Fund is over-funded, 

following the same principles as in paragraph 25.  

27. An anonymous Contributor, or a Contributor who  has in the opinion of the Administrators 

indicated that they waive the right to repayment, will be treated as having irrevocably waived 

any right to return of their contribution.   

28. For the purpose of returning contributions, the Administrators will be entitled to contact 

Contributors at their last known email or postal address, on one occasion only, and to assume 

that any Contributor who does not respond within 21 days has irrevocably waived their right to 

a return of their contribution. 

29. If in any particular case the Committee considers that there are exceptional circumstances, the 

Administrators may return to a Contributor all or part of their contribution, notwithstanding 

paragraphs 23, 27 and 28.  4773217_1.DOC  v4  17 December 2010 

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30. At the conclusion of the winding up of the Fund, and after the Administrators have returned 

surplus moneys to Contributors in accordance with paragraphs 25 to 29, Julian irrevocably 

undertakes to authorise, and he hereby authorises, the Administrators to pay any surplus moneys 

actually in their hands to such charities or not for profit organisations in any jurisdictions which 

have freedom of speech or freedom of information as a principal aim. But the Administrators 

may keep back a reserve out of those surplus moneys for so long as they think necessary to meet 

any claims of any kind against the Fund. 

31. For the avoidance of doubt, no Contributor may have returned to them more than the amount of 

their contribution, and any references to the return of surplus moneys by the Administrators 

refer only to surplus moneys actually in the hands of the Administrators.  

Governing Law etc 

32. These Terms are governed by English law and the Contributors, the Committee and the 

Administrators submit exclusively to the jurisdiction of the Courts of England. 

Clause headings 

33. The Overview and clause headings are for ease of reference only. They do not form part of these 

Terms or affect their meaning. 

These Terms copyright Finers Stephens Innocent LLP Solicitors © 2010

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