Wan v BT Funds Management Limited [2022] FCA 302

Federal Court of Australia

Wan v BT Funds Management Limited [2022] FCA 302 File number: VID 622 of 2020

Judgment of: ANASTASSIOU J

Date of judgment: 30 March 2022

Catchwords: SUPERANNUATION – financial services – superannuation complaints – power of the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) to determine superannuation complaints under s 1055 of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) – where AFCA required to determine whether trustee of superannuation fund acted unreasonably or unfairly in distributing member's death benefit – where Applicant claims to be a dependant of the deceased – proper construction of dependant in trust deed – where trustee initially distributed 100% of death benefit to Applicant – where trustee set aside initial decision and made decision to distribute 100% of death benefit to deceased's estate – where AFCA affirmed the decision of the trustee – whether AFCA erred in affirming decision of trustee – appeal to Federal Court of Australia under s 1057 of the Corporations Act – appeal dismissed

Legislation: Corporations Act 2001 (Cth), ss 1054A3, 1054B, 1054C, 1055, 1055A, 1056A, 1057 Federal Court of Australia Act 1976 (Cth), s 32 Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993 (Cth), ss 10, 10A, 31, 34, 52, 55A Trustee Act 1925 (NSW), s 63 Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Regulations 1994 (Cth), regs 1.04AAAA, 6.22 Supreme Court (General Civil Procedure) Rules 2015 (Vic), r 54.02

Cases cited: Alcan (NT) Alumina Pty Ltd v Commissioner of Territory Revenue [2009] HCA 41; 239 CLR 27 Attorney-General of the Commonwealth v Breckler [1999] HCA 28; 197 CLR 83 Ayoub v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection [2015] FCAFC 83; 231 FCR 513 Board of Trustees of the State Public Sector Superannuation Scheme v Edington [2011] FCAFC 8; 119 ALD 472 Carrascalao v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection [2017] FCAFC 107; 252 FCR 352 Collector of Customs v Pozzolanic Enterprises Pty Ltd [1993] FCA 456; 43 FCR 280 Commissioner of Taxation v The Trustee for the Michael Hayes Family Trust [2019] FCAFC 226; 237 FCR 567 Construction Forestry, Mining and Energy Union v BHP Coal Pty Ltd (No 3) [2012] FCA 61 Cummins v Petterd [2021] FCA 646 Drury v Smith [2012] NSWSC 1067 Edwards v PostSuper Pty Ltd [2007] FCAFC 83 Federal Commissioner of Taxation v Consolidated Media Holdings Ltd [2012] HCA 55; 250 CLR 503 Finch v Telstra Super Pty Ltd [2010] HCA 26; 242 CLR 254 Fitzgerald v Masters [1956] HCA 53; 95 CLR 420 Haritos v Commissioner of Taxation [2015] FCAFC 92; 233 FCR 315 Karger v Paul [1984] VR 161 Lock v Westpac Banking Corporation (1991) 25 NSWLR 593 Macedonian Orthodox Community Church St Petka Inc v His Eminence Petar Diocesan Bishop of Macedonian Orthodox Diocese of Australia and New Zealand [2008] HCA 42; 237 CLR 66 Maciejewski v Telstra Super Pty. Limited [1999] NCWSC 341 Mettoy Pension Trustees Ltd v Evans [1990] 1 WLR 1587 Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs v Gungor (1982) 42 ALR 209 Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs v Wu Shan Liang [1996] HCA 6; 185 CLR 259 Minister for Immigrations and Multicultural Affairs v Thiyagarajah [2000] HCA 9; 199 CLR 343 Navoto v Minister for Home Affairs [2019] FCAFC 135 QSuper Board v Australian Financial Complaints Authority Ltd [2020] FCAFC 55; 276 FCR 97 Rushton v Commonwealth Superannuation Corporation (No 3) [2021] FCA 358 Telstra Super Pty Ltd v Flegeltaub [2000] VSCA 180; 2 VR 276 Tony Azzi Automobiles Pty Ltd v Volvo [2006] NSWSC 283 Wilkinson v Clerical Administrative and Related Employees Superannuation Pty Ltd [1998] FCA 51; 79 FCR 469 Williams v IS Industry Fund Pty Ltd [2018] FCAFC 219; 266 FCR 370 Wooster v Morris [2013] VSC 5994 Yesilhat v Calokerinos [2021] NSWCA 110