Carolyn Margaret Hickin v Robyn Patricia Carroll & Ors (No 2) [2014] NSWSC 1059

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Carolyn Margaret Hickin v Robyn Patricia Carroll & Ors (No 2) [2014] NSWSC 1059 Hearing dates: 11 November 2013, 21 March 2014 Decision date: 06 August 2014 Jurisdiction: Equity Division Before: Kunc J Decision: Amended summons dismissed Catchwords: WILLS, PROBATE AND ADMINISTRATION - Construction - Gift conditional on beneficiaries converting to Roman Catholicism within three months of testator's death - Whether condition precedent or subsequent - Whether uncertain, impossible or against public policy PRECEDENTS - Binding effect of - Lower court bound even if considers underlying public policy has changed WORDS AND PHRASES - "baptised", "convert" Legislation Cited: Anti-Discrimination Act 1977 (NSW) Conveyancing Act 1919 (NSW) Race Relations Act 1968 (UK) Racial Discrimination Act 1975 (Cth) Succession Act 2006 (NSW) Cases Cited: Andrew v Andrew [2012] NSWCA 308; (2012) 81 NSWLR 656 Blathwayt v Baron Cawley [1976] AC 397 Bondi Beach Astra Retirement Village v Gora [2011] NSWCA 396; (2011) 82 NSWLR 665, Carolyn Margaret Hickin v Robyn Patricia Carroll & Ors [2013] NSWSC 1686 Cattanach v Melchior [2003] HCA 38; (2003) 215 CLR 1 Church Property Trustees, Diocese of Newcastle v Ebbeck [1960] HCA 88; (1960) 104 CLR 394 Chow Hung Ching v The King [1948] HCA 37; (1948) 77 CLR 449 Clavering v Ellison (1859) 7 HLC 707 Clayton v Ramsden [1943] AC 320 Edgerton v Earl of Bronlow (1853) 4 HL Cas 484; (1853) 10 ER 359 Fell v Fell [1922] HCA 55; (1922) 31 CLR 268 Horrigan v Horrigan [1904] 1 IR 29 Hyde v Holland [2003] NSWSC 733 In Re Allen Deceased; Faith v Allen [1953] 1 Ch 810 In re Borwick; Borwick v Borwick [1933] 1 Ch 657 In re Cuming; Nicholls v Public Trustee (South Australia) [1945] HCA 32; (1945) 72 CLR 86 In Re Evans; Hewitt v Edwards [1940] Ch 629 In re Samuel; Jacobs v Ramdsen [1942] Ch 1 Kostiga v Ukrainian Council of New South Wales Incorporated [2013] NSWSC 222 Lamb v Cotogno [1987] HCA 47; (1987) 164 CLR McCausland v Young [1949] NI 49 Miliangos v George Frank (Textiles) Limited [1976] AC 443 Miller v Miller (1995) 16 ACSR 73 Perpetual Trustees Executors and Agency Company of Tasmania Limited v Walker [1953] HCA 21; (1953) 90 CLR 270 Re Emson; Grain v Grain (1905) 93 LT 104 Seidler v Schallhofer [1982] 2 NSWLR 80 Soong v Deputy Commissioner of Taxation [2011] NSWCA 26; (2011) 80 NSWLR 226 Taylor v Burgess [2002] NSWSC 676; (2002) 29 FamLR 167 Re Williams, deceased; Queensland Trustees Ltd v Williams [1950] St R Qd 148 The Trustees of Church Property of the Diocese of Newcastle v Ebbeck [1960] HCA 88; (1960) 104 CLR 394 Watson v Watson [1999] NSWSC 325 In re Whiting, deceased; Whiting v The Equity Trustees Executors and Agency Co Ltd [1957] VR 400 Texts Cited: P Butt "Testamentary Conditions in Restraint of Religion" (1977) 8 Syd Law Rev 400 C Evans "Legal Protection of Religious Freedom in Australia", The Federation Press, 2012 S Grattan and H Conway, "Testamentary Conditions in Restraint of Religion in the 21st Century: an Anglo-Canadian Perspective" (2005) 50 McGill Law Journal 511 Macquarie Dictionary, 6th edn, Macquarie Dictionary Publishers Pty Ltd, 2013 Williams on Wills (9th Edn), Lexis Nexis Butterworths, 2008 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Carolyn Margaret Hickin (Plaintiff) Robyn Patricia Lyons (First Defendant) Paulene June Carroll (Second Defendant) Anthony John Carroll (Third Defendant) Susan Margaret Klar (Fourth Defendant) Representation: Counsel: Mr P.P. O'Loughlin (Plaintiff) Mr M. Gorrick and Ms J. Walker (First to Fourth Defendants) Mr A.C. Scotting (Fifth Defendant) Solicitors: Warren McKeon Dickson (Plaintiff) L. Rundle & Co (Defendants) Teece Hodgson & Ward (Fifth Defendant) File Number(s): 2013/143800 Publication restriction: No