Rollo Ventry Wakefield Gray v BNY Trust Company of Australia Limited (formerly Guardian Trust Australia Limited) [2009] NSWSC 789

New South Wales Supreme Court

CITATION : Rollo Ventry Wakefield Gray v BNY Trust Company of Australia Limited (formerly Guardian Trust Australia Limited) [2009] NSWSC 789

HEARING DATE(S) : 20 and 22 April 2009

JUDGMENT DATE : 18 August 2009

JUDGMENT OF : Bergin CJ in Eq

DECISION : Plaintiff entitled to access to limited category of documents

CATCHWORDS : TRUSTS - Trust documents - Access by beneficiary - PRIVILEGE - Whether an order that defendant executor/trustee entitled to indemnification out of estate for costs of litigation entitles plaintiff beneficiary to access to legal advices obtained during that litigation

LEGISLATION CITED : Supreme Court Rules 1970 Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005

Avanes v Marshall & Ors (2007) 68 NSWLR 595 Bacon v Bacon (1876) 34 LT 349 Brown v Oakshott (1849) 12 Beav 252 Bulk Materials (Coal Handling) Services Pty Ltd v Coal & Allied Operations Pty Ltd (1988) 13 NSWLR 689 Buzzle Operations Pty Ltd (in Liq) v Apple Computer Australia Pty Ltd [2009] NSWSC 225 Devaynes v Robinson (1855) 20 Beav 42 Garratt's Limited v Thanga Thangathurai [2002] NSWSC 39 Gouraud v The Edison Gower Bell Telephone Company of Europe (1888) 57 LJ Ch 498 Gray v Gray [2004] NSWCA 408 Gray v Gray [2005] NSWCA 129 CASES CITED : Gray v Guardian Trust Australia [2002] NSWSC 1218 Gray v Guardian Trust Australia Ltd [2003] NSWSC 704 Gray v Guardian Trust Australia Ltd [2003] NSWSC 887 Re Londonderry's Settlement [1965] Ch 918 Mayor and Corporation of Bristol v Cox (1884) 26 Ch 678 McDonald v Ellis [2007] NSWSC 1068 Minet v Morgan (1873) LR 8 Ch App 361 Schmidt v Rosewood Trust Ltd [2003] 2 AC 709 State of South Australia & Anor v Barrett & Ors (1995) 64 SASR 73 Talbot v Marshfield [1865] 62 ER 728 Thomas v Secretary of State for India in Council (1870) 18 WR 312