Re Estate Wilson, Deceased [2017] NSWSC 1

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Re Estate Wilson, Deceased [2017] NSWSC 1 Hearing dates: 25 November and 12 and 20 December 2016 Date of orders: 18 January 2017 Decision date: 18 January 2017 Jurisdiction: Common Law Before: Lindsay J Decision: A distribution order made under section 134 (in Part 4.4) of the Succession Act 2006 NSW for administration of the intestate estate of an Aboriginal man. Catchwords: SUCCESSION – Intestacy and distribution on intestacy – Indigenous intestate – Intestate never married; died without partner, issue, dependants or debts – Contest between Aboriginal half-sisters and adoptive half-sisters – Explanation and application of Succession Act 2006 NSW, Part 4.4 – Distribution order made under Succession Act, section 134 Legislation Cited: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission Act 1989 Cth Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983 NSW Adoption Act 2000 NSW Adoption Information Act 1990 NSW Australian Courts Act, 1828 (Imp) Child Welfare Act 1939 NSW Civil Procedure Act 2005 NSW Interpretation Act 1987 NSW Intestacy Act 2010 Tas Intestacy Bill 2007 SA Native Title Act 1993 Cth New South Wales Act 1823 (Imp) Administration and Probate Act 1969 NT Probate and Administration Act 1898 NSW Succession Act 2006 NSW Succession Amendment (Intestacy) Act 2009 NSW Supreme Court Act 1970 NSW Third Charter of Justice, 1823 Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 NSW Cases Cited: Andrew v Andrew (2012) 81 NSWLR 656 Application by the Public Trustee of the Northern Territory [2000] NTSC 52 Banks v Goodfellow (1870) LR 5 QB 549 Bates v Messner (1967) 67 SR (NSW) 187 Churton v Christian (1988) 13 NSWLR 241 Estate Kouvakis [2014] NSWSC 786 In the Goods of William Loveday [1900] P 154 Mabo v Queensland (1988) 166 CLR 186 Mabo v Queensland [No 2] (1992) 175 CLR 1 Osborne v Smith (1960) 105 CLR 153 Plunkett v Bull (1915) 19 CLR 544 Re Fulop (1987) 8 NSWLR 679 Shaw v Wolf (1998) 83 FCR 113 The Pontifical Society for the Propagation of the Faith v Scales (1962) 107 CLR 9 Water Conservation and Irrigation Commission (NSW) v Browning (1947) 47 CLR 492 Texts Cited: Australian Law Reform Commission Report 31, Recognition of Aboriginal Customary Laws (1986) National Committee for Uniform Succession Laws, Report to the Standing Committee of Attorney General, Intestacy (March 2007) New South Wales Law Reform Commission Report 110, Uniform Succession Laws: Family Provision (May 2005) New South Wales Law Reform Commission Report 116, Uniform Succession Laws: Intestacy (April 2007) Prue Vines, Aboriginal Wills Handbook: A Practical Guide to Making Culturally Appropriate Wills for Aboriginal People (second edition, 2015) Prue Vines, "Consequences of intestacy for indigenous people in Australia: the passing of property and burial rites" (2004) 8 Australian Indigenous Law Reporter 1 Prue Vines, "Wills as shields and spears: the failure of intestacy law and the need for wills for customary purposes in Australia" (2001) 5 Indigenous Law Bulletin 16 Ruth Pollard, Peter Whitehead and Margaret Pringle "Administration of Intestate Estates" (2017) 43 Australian Bar Review 142 South Australian Law Reform Institute, Cutting the Cake: South Australian Rules of Intestacy (December 2015) Victorian Law Reform Commission, Succession Laws: Report (August 2013) Category: Principal judgment Parties: First plaintiff: Jill Annette Bott Second plaintiff: Michelle Muriel Gardner Third plaintiff: Susan Christine Donovan