Art + Law in the News

Restitution made easier? Or with exceptions?

A new UK rule taking effect on 27 November 2025 makes it easier for charitable, non-national museums to return cultural objects for moral reasons. These changes, set out in sections 15 and 16 of the Charities Act 2022, simplify the process for “ex gratia” transfers, which occur when museum trustees feel a strong moral obligation to return an item even without a legal duty.

Under the updated law, trustees can approve low-value ex gratia transfers on their own, while higher-value transfers can be authorised by the Charity Commission, the Attorney General or the courts. This mechanism has already supported returns such as the Horniman Museum’s and Jesus College’s 2021 decisions to send Benin bronzes back to Nigeria.

However, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport has confirmed that 16 national institutions, including the British Museum, Tate and the National Gallery, are excluded from these powers. Existing statutes continue to prevent these larger institutions from removing items from their collections. Legal experts note that this exclusion may be open to challenge but appears to be the government’s settled position.

A daring art heist: a Banksy thief meets the law

A London court recently sentenced 48-year-old Larry Fraser to 13 months in prison for stealing a Banksy Girl with Balloon print from Grove Gallery in September 2024. Fraser broke in with a hammer, grabbed the £270,000 artwork in 36 seconds, and later admitted he did it to help pay a drug debt.

Girl with Balloon is one of Banksy’s most famous images and has a strong market history, including the famous 2018 shredding incident at Sotheby’s.

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Art in the City (Upcoming Exhibitions)

“Seeing Silence: The Paintings of Helene Schjerfbeck” Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (Exhibition starts December 5, 2025 – till April 5, 2026)

“Gainsborough: The Fashion of Portraiture” at the Frick Collection, New York (Exhibition starts February 12, 2026 – till May 11, 2026)

Art around the world (Current and Upcoming Exhibitions)

“Land and Soil. How We Live Together” at Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, Düsseldorf, Germany (Currently on view till April 19, 2026)

“Metamorphoses” at Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam (Exhibition starts January 6, 2026 – till May 25, 2026)