Blundell v Curvers [1999] NSWCA 421

New South Wales Court of Appeal CITATION : Blundell v Curvers [1999] NSWCA 421 FILE NUMBER(S) : CA 41025/98 HEARING DATE(S) : 04/08/99 JUDGMENT DATE : 18 November 1999

PARTIES : William Blundell John William Antony Curvers JUDGMENT OF : Mason P at 1; Beazley JA at 1; Giles JA at 1

LOWER COURT JURISDICTION : Supreme Court LOWER COURT FILE NUMBER(S) : 115005/97 LOWER COURT JUDICIAL OFFICER : Windeyer J

COUNSEL : Appellant: L J Aitkin/ S Kaur-Bains Respondent: D R L Laws SOLICITORS : Appellant: Jackson Smith Respondent: Mikelis Strikis CATCHWORDS : Execution of Will; Grant of probate in solemn form; certain words excluded; rule in Browne v Dunn; procedural fairness; expert evidence; trial judge's reasoning; suspicious circumstances surrounding Will; remainder of Will valid Browne v Dunn (1893) 6 R 67 Allied Pastoral Holdings Pty Ltd v Commissioner of Taxation [1983] 1 NSWLR 1 Bulstrode v Trimble [1970] VR 840 Abalos v Australian Postal Commission (1990) 171 CLR 167 CASES CITED: Devries v Australian National Railways (1993) 177 CLR 472 Re Breen [1927] VLR 164 Baker v Butt [1838] 2 Moo PCC 317 Barry v Butlin [1838] 2 Moo PCC 480 Tanner v Public Trustee [1973] 1 NZLR 68 DECISION : Appeal and Cross-Appeal Dismissed

THE SUPREME COURT

OF NEW SOUTH WALES

COURT OF APPEAL

CA 41025/98 PD 115005/97

MASON P BEAZLEY JA GILES JA

Thursday, 18 November 1999

WILLIAM BLUNDELL v JOHN WILLIAM ANTONY CURVERS

FACTS

Probate in solemn form of the will of the deceased, Mrs Germaine Marguerite Marie Francoise Toussaint Curvers, was granted with certain words omitted. The omitted words involved a bequest of a valuable painting to the appellant, a friend of the deceased. The words "free of all duties etc" on page one of the Will were also omitted from Probate.