Maxwell James Anthony Connery v Williams Business College Limited & Anor [2014] NSWSC 154

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Maxwell James Anthony Connery v Williams Business College Limited & Anor [2014] NSWSC 154 Hearing dates: 3 & 20 September, 1 November 2013 Decision date: 28 February 2014 Jurisdiction: Equity Division Before: Slattery Decision: See paragraph [79]. Catchwords: EQUITY - trusts and trustees - charitable trusts - application for judicial advice - Charitable Trusts Act 1993, ss 5, 6, 10 and 13 - 1998 gift by will treated as void for uncertainty so 1999 Deed of Trust provides substitute trust arrangements - by 2013 substitute trust arrangements become unworkable - whether gift by will is void - whether gift exhibits a general charitable intention - whether cy-pres scheme should be ordered - whether the Attorney General should be ordered under Charitable Trusts Act, s 13 to establish a scheme to administer the funds dedicated to charitable purposes. Legislation Cited: Charitable Trusts Act 1993 (NSW), ss 5, 6, 10, 13(2) Trustee Act 1925, ss 63, 85 Cases Cited: Attorney General (NSW) v Barr [1991] NSWCA 4 Attorney General v Coopers Co (1812) 34 ER 488 Attorney General v Foundling Hospital Governors (1793) 30 ER 514 Attorney General for NSW v Fred Fulham & Ors [2002] NSWSC 629 Attorney General (NSW) v Perpetual Trustee Co Ltd (1940) 63 CLR 209 Hunter Region SLSA Helicopter Rescue Service Limited v Attorney General for NSW (2000) WSC 456 Mills v Farmer (1815) 35 ER 597 NSW Trustee and Guardian v Attorney General in and for the State of New South Wales [2012] NSWSC 1282 Perpetual Trustees (WA) Limited v Riverwest Pty Limited [2004] WASC 81 Pocock v Attorney General (1876) 3 Ch.D. 342 Public Trustee v Attorney General of NSW (1997) 42 NSWLR 600 Re Coulthurst's Will Trust; Coutts & Co v Coulthurst [1951] 1 All ER 774 Thompson v Federal Commissioner of Taxation (1959) 102 CLR 315 Williams' Trustees v Inland Revenue Commissioners [1947] AC 447 Texts Cited: Halsbury's Laws of Australia, Online Volume (at 28 February 2014), 75 Charities, 'Cy-pres schemes' [75-715] Jacobs Law of Trusts in Australia, 7th edition, J.D. Heydon and M.J. Leeming, paragraph [1061]. Category: Principal judgment Parties: Plaintiff: Maxwell James Anthony Connery Defendant: Williams Business College Limited Representation: Counsel: Plaintiff: Mr C.E. Alexander First Defendant: NSW Attorney General: Mr H. El-Hage Solicitors: Plaintiff: Maxwell J.A. Connery, Connery Partners Defendant: Peter John English, Surry Partners Lawyers File Number(s): 2013/69496 Publication restriction: No.