Lewis v Lewis [2021] NSWCA 168

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Lewis v Lewis [2021] NSWCA 168 Hearing dates: 22 June 2021, last written submissions 1 July 2021 Decision date: 06 August 2021 Before: Meagher JA at [1]; Leeming JA at [2]; Payne JA at [218]. Decision: 1. Appeal dismissed. 2. Cross-appeal dismissed. 3. The appellant David Lewis to pay the costs of the first respondent Peter Lewis of the appeal and cross-appeal. Catchwords: SUCCESSION – contested probate – knowledge and approval – suspicious circumstances - significance of reading out will to capable testator – whether reading out will to capable testator who executes it will discharge onus on propounder – whether sufficient to establish knowledge of contents of will or whether it may be necessary to establish knowledge of its effect – consideration of Tobin v Ezekiel (2012) 83 NSWLR 757; [2012] NSWCA 285 – consideration of "mistake doctrine" – significance of statutory power to rectify wills SUCCESSION – contested probate – severance of testamentary instruments – power to admit only those clauses to probate of which testator has been shown to have known and approved – distinction between omitted clauses which confer bequests and omitted clauses which confer power – Osborne v Smith (1960) 105 CLR 153; [1960] HCA 89 considered and explained SUBPOENAS – production of documents – redaction of parts of documents on ground of relevance – distinction between redaction for privilege and redaction for relevance Legislation Cited: Court of Probate Act 1857 (20 & 21 Vict c 77) Probate Act 1890 (NSW) Probate Jurisdiction Rules 1936 (NSW), r 68(3) Regulae Generales 1899 (NSW), r 67(iii) Succession Act 2007 (NSW), ss 27, 31-39, 43 Supreme Court Act 1970 (NSW) Supreme Court Rules 1970 (NSW), Pt 78 r 16 Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW), rr 33.3, 33.6 Wills Act 1837 (1 Vict c 26) Wills, Probate and Administration Act 1898 (NSW), s 29A Cases Cited: Astridge v Pepper [1970] 1 NSWR 542 Atter v Atkinson (1869) LR 1 P & D 665 Bacon v Pianta (1966) 114 CLR 634; [1966] HCA 44 Bailey v Director-General, Department of Land and Water Conservation (2009) 74 NSWLR 333; [2009] NSWCA 100 Barry v Butlin (1838) 2 Moo PC 480; 12 ER 1089 Bayldon v Bayldon (1826) 3 Add 232; 162 ER 464 Bevan v Coolahan (2019) 101 NSWLR 86; [2019] NSWCA 217 Burrows v Macpherson & Kelley Lawyers (Sydney) Pty Ltd [2021] NSWCA 148 Carew v White (1842) 5 Beav 172; 49 ER 542 Church v Mason [2013] NSWCA 481 Cleare v Cleare (1869) LR 1 P & D 655 Collins v Elstone [1893] P 1 Craig-Bridges v NSW Trustee and Guardian [2017] NSWCA 197 Crerar v Crerar (Sachs J, unreported, April 1956) Cunliffe v Cross (1862) 3 Sw & Tr 37; 164 ER 1185 Curlex Manufacturing Pty Ltd v Carlingford Australia General Insurance Ltd [1987] 2 Qd R 335 Director General of Department of Community Services; Re Sophie [2008] NSWCA 250 DJ Singh v DH Singh [2018] NSWCA 30; 17 ASTLR 317 Dore v Billinghurst [2006] QCA 494 Equuscorp Pty Ltd v Haxton (2012) 246 CLR 498; [2012] HCA 7 Estate of Aspasia Kandros [2019] NSWSC 757 Estate of George Aeneas McDonald; Howard v The Sydney Children's Hospital Network (Randwick & Westmead) [2015] NSWSC 1610 Ex parte Hebburn Ltd; Re Kearsley Shire Council (1947) 47 SR (NSW) 416 Farelly v Corrigan [1899] AC 563 Fuller v Strum [2001] EWCA Civ 1879; [2002] 1 WLR 1097 Fulton v Andrew (1875) LR 7 HL 448 Garnett-Botfield v Garnett-Botfield [1901] P 335 Gill v Woodall [2011] Ch 380 Guardhouse v Blackburn (1866) LR 1 P & D 109 Gunns Ltd v Marr [2008] VSC 464 Harter v Harter (1873) LR 3 P & D 11 Hastilow v Stobie (1865) LR 1 P & D 64 Hendy v Jenkins (1901) 1 SR (NSW) B&P 34 Hera Project Pty Ltd v Bisognin [No 4] [2017] VSC 270 Hobhouse v Macarthur-Onslow [2016] NSWSC 1831 Hoff v Atherton [2004] EWCA Civ 1554; [2005] WTLR 99 Housman v Camuglia [2021] NSWCA 106 In re Horrocks (Decd); Taylor v Kershaw [1939] P 198 In re Phelan (Decd) [1972] Fam 33 In re Tait, Deceased [1957] VR 405 In the matter of Anne Lewis Pty Ltd [2013] NSWSC 1992 In the matter of Anne Lewis Pty Ltd [2014] NSWSC 418 In the matter of Anne Lewis Pty Ltd [2016] NSWSC 1860 In the Will of Hempel (1959) 60 SR (NSW) 147 Kenward v Adams (The Times, 29 November 1975) Lewis v Lewis [2020] NSWSC 1306 Lewis v Lewis (No 2) [2020] NSWSC 1519 LG v Brock as executor of the Estate of the late Leo Clarke [2016] NSWSC 323 Marley v Rawlings [2015] AC 129; [2014] UKSC 2 Marsh v Tyrrell (1828) 2 Hagg Ecc 84 McGarvey v Temo as Temporary Administraro of the Estate of Heremia [2007] NZHC 1779 Mekhail v Hana; Mekail v Hana [2019] NSWCA 197 Menkens v Wintour [2007] 2 Qd R 40; [2006] QSC 342 Middlehurst v Johnson (1860) 30 L J (P M & A) 14 Nock v Austin (1918) 25 CLR 519; [1918] HCA 73 Osborne v Smith (1960) 105 CLR 153; [1960] HCA 89 Perpetual Trustee v Baker [1999] NSWCA 244 Perpetual Trustee Co v Williamson (1929) 29 SR (NSW) 487 Perrins v Holland [2011] Ch 270; [2010] EWCA Civ 840 Pham v Gall (2020) 102 NSWLR 269; [2020] NSWCA 116 Re Bryden [1975] Qd R 210 Re Estate of Paul Francis Hodges Deceased; Shorter v Hodges (1988) 14 NSWLR 698 Re Estate of Stanley William Church [2012] NSWSC 1489 Re Fenwick [1972] 72 VR 646 Re Horrocks (decd); Taylor v Kershaw [1939] P 198 Re Reynette-James, Wightman v Reynette [1976] 1 WLR 161; [1976] 3 All ER 1037 Simon v Byford [2014] EWCA Civ 280 Sky v Body (1970) 92 WN (NSW) 934 Stojic v Stojic [2018] NSWCA 28; 17 ASTLR 215 Tanner v Public Trustee [1973] 1 NZLR 68 Tatham v Huxtable (1950) 81 CLR 639 at 651; [1950] HCA 56 Telstra Corporation v Australis Media Holdings (unreported, Supreme Court of New South Wales, McLelland CJ in Eq, 10 February 1997) Thomas v Arthur Hughes Pty Ltd [2015] NSWSC 1027; 107 ACSR 443 Tobin v Ezekiel (2012) 83 NSWLR 757; [2012] NSWCA 285 Veall v Veall (2015) 46 VR 123; [2015] VSCA 60 Wintle v Nye [1959] 1 WLR 284 ZP v PS (1994) 181 CLR 639; [1994] HCA 29 Texts Cited: J Bennett, A History of the Supreme Court of New South Wales (Law Book Company, 1974) H Coote, Practice of the Court of Probate (5th ed, London, Butterworths, 1866) T Garrett, The Ecclesiastical Practice (NSW) (1889) I Hardingham, "The Jurisdiction of Courts of Probate to Rectify Errors in Wills" (1972) 46 Australian Law Journal 221 R Kerridge and A Brierley, "Mistakes in Wills: Rectify and be Damned" (2003) 62(3) Cambridge Law Journal 750 R Kerridge, "The Vulnerable Testator" (2000) 59 Cambridge Law Journal 310 H Theobald, The Law of Wills (2nd ed, 1881) "Knowledge and Approval" (1956) 106 Law Journal 694 M Voyce, "Statutory Reform of Rectification of Wills in New South Wales" (1992) 8 Australian Bar Review 49 Mortimer's Probate Practice (2nd ed 1927) Theobald on Wills (19th ed, Sweet & Maxwell, 2021) Williams, The Law of Executors and Administrators (7th ed 1873; 8th ed 1879; 10th ed 1905; 11th ed 1921) "Wills – Execution and Revocation" LRC 47 (1986) W Walker and H Bignold, Wills, Probate and Administration Act 1898 (Law Book Company, Sydney, 1903) Category: Principal judgment Parties: David Grant Lewis (Appellant; Cross-respondent) Peter Howarth Lewis (First Respondent; Cross-appellant) Jeremy Neil Glass (Second Respondent, submitting) Representation: Counsel: R Wilson SC (Appellant; Cross-respondent) LJ Ellison SC (First Respondent; Cross-appellant)