American Home Assurance Company v King (as Executrix of the Estate of the Late Frederick King) [2001] NSWCA 201

New South Wales Court of Appeal

CITATION : American Home Assurance Company v King (as Executrix of the Estate of the Late Frederick King) [2001] NSWCA 201 FILE NUMBER(S) : CA 40052/00 HEARING DATE(S) : 7 June 2001 JUDGMENT DATE : 29 June 2001

PARTIES : American Home Assurance Company v Beryl Rose Grace King (as Executrix of the Estate of the Late Frederick King) JUDGMENT OF : Handley JA at 1; Beazley JA at 2; Stein JA at 3

LOWER COURT JURISDICTION : District Court LOWER COURT DC 524/97 FILE NUMBER(S) : LOWER COURT Goldring DCJ JUDICIAL OFFICER :

COUNSEL : Appellant - J V Gooley Respondent - D H Murr SC/P R Cummings SOLICITORS : Appellant - Sparke Helmore Respondent - Harris Wheeler, Newcastle CATCHWORDS : CIVIL LAW - suicide - standard of proof - whether balance of probabilities or some greater degree of satisfaction - Briginshaw test - PROCEDURE - whether presumption against suicide still operates - proper inference on the evidence - ND LEGISLATION CITED : Crimes Act 1900 Mental Health Act 1990 Briginshaw v Briginshaw (1938) 60 CLR 336 CASES CITED: Clark v NZI Life Ltd (1991) 2 Qd R 11 Rejfek v McElroy (1965) 112 CLR 517 Spiratos v Australasian United Steam Navigation Co Ltd (1955) 93 CLR 317 DECISION : Appeal dismissed with costs

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF NEW SOUTH WALES COURT OF APPEAL

CA 40052/00 DC 524/97

HANDLEY JA BEAZLEY JA STEIN JA Friday, 29 June 2001

AMERICAN HOME ASSURANCE COMPANY v Beryl Rose Grace KING (as Executrix of the Estate of the Late Frederick KING)