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6.1978/35
W. M. Houston, Govt. Print, Metb.
Qe
IN THE HIGH COURT OF AUSTRALIA
EDWARDS
REASONS FOR JUDGMENT
Judgment delivered at...SYDWN!
on. .WEDNESDAY,..7th. DECEMBER, 1995.
JUDGMENT. (ORAL)
EDWARDS ev. BOYD
DIXON C.ds
WEBB Je
KITTO Je
EDWARDS ve BOYD
This is an appeal against the order of Roper C.J. in
Eq. made in the Probate jurisdiction on 24th March 1955. The
appeal is now confined to so much of the order as pronounced in
favour of a will dated 29th September 1950. The question upon
which the appeal depends is concernes) din the evidence upon which
his Honour found that the will was duly executed. Mr. Benjamin,
for the appellant, has put forward an able argument directed to
satisfying us that the learned Judge's view of the facts took too
unfavourable a view of one of the witnesses to the will whose
evidence, if accepted, would at least throw grave doubt on its
due execution. The other witness to the will was not called,
she at that time being in England.
We are of opinion that we cannot interfere with his
Honour's finding of fact upon this issue which is amply justified
by the evidence before the learned Judge as it stands. The
principles which we have recently restated in Patterson ve
Patterson, 89 C.L.R. 212, are those which are to be applied to
a case of this description and we are of opinion that upon a
proper application of these principles the appeal cannot succeed.
It is, however, suggested that the evidence of the
other attesting witness can now be made available and that it
would, if admitted, prove to be inconsistent with the conclusion
that a probate should be granted to this will. Our jurisdiction
does not extend to entertaining an application to set aside an
order or decree on the ground of the discovery of fresh evidence
or of the availability of fresh evidence; or to admission of
fresh evidence for the purpose of deciding an appeal before us
and we therefore do not look at the affidavit which we understand
has been sworn and would disclose what that evidence is.
It follows that the appeal must be dismissed, but
we dismiss the appeal without prejudice to any application or
appeal that the now appellant may make or institute in the
Supreme Court of New South Wales.
The order will be: Appeal dismissed with costs but
without prejudice to any application or appeal the now appellant
may make or institute in the Supreme Court of New South Wales.
In so far as the respondent's costs of the appeal are not paid
by the appellant, such costs to be paid out of the estate.