Lever v Attorney General of NSW [2018] NSWSC 838

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Lever v Attorney General of NSW [2018] NSWSC 838 Hearing dates: 29 May 2018 Date of orders: 29 May 2018 Decision date: 29 May 2018 Jurisdiction: Equity Before: Ward CJ in Eq Decision: 1. Declare that the gift contained in cl 4.4(a) of the Will of the late Ellie Hunt dated 4 October 2013 is a valid charitable gift (the Gift). 2. Order that the plaintiff pay and transfer the assets which are the subject of the Gift to the trustees of The Ellie Trust, once The Ellie Trust has been registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales and subject to the provision of a receipt by the trustees of The Ellie Trust for such funds. 3. Declare that the issue of a receipt by the trustees of The Ellie Trust for Gift will be a sufficient discharge to the plaintiff for such assets. 4. Order that the plaintiff's costs of these proceedings and the costs of the Attorney General, on the indemnity basis, be paid out of the assets of the Gift. Catchwords: EQUITY – Trusts and trustees – Charitable trusts Legislation Cited: Charitable Trusts Act 1993 (NSW), ss 4(1), 5(1), 6(1), 10 Preamble to the Statute of Charitable Uses 1601 (43 Eliz I, c 4) Succession Act 2006 (NSW), ss 42(2), 44, Ch 3, Ch 4 Cases Cited: Arnott v Leong [2009] NSWSC 187; 2 ASTLR 108 Blair v Duncan [1902] AC 37 Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation Inc v Inland Revenue Commissioners [1954] 2 All ER 466 Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation Inc v Inland Revenue Commissioners [1955] 3 All ER 97 Commissioners for Special Purposes of Income Tax v Pemsel [1891] AC 531 Damberg v Damberg (2001) 52 NSWLR 492; [2001] NSWCA 87 Gaudiya Mission v Brahmachary [1998] 2 WLR 175 Goldwyn v Mazal [2003] NSWSC 427 Goodman v Mayor of Saltash (1882) 7 App Cas 633 In re Christchurch Inclosure Act (1888) 38 Ch D 520 In re Pieper, deceased [1951] VLR 42 In re St Botolph Without Bishopgate Parish Estates (1887) 35 Ch D 142 In re Trusts of Will of Joseph (deceased) (1907) 26 NZLR 504 Kytherian Association of Queensland v Sklavos (1958) 101 CLR 56; [1958] HCA 47 Lander v Whitbread [1982] 2 NSWLR 530 Lutheran Church of Australia South Australia District Incorporated v Farmers' Co-operative Executors and Trustees Limited (1970) 121 CLR 628; [1970] HCA 12 Mayor of Lyon v East India Co (1836) 1 Moo PC 175 Mayor, Aldermen, and Citizens of Canterbury v Wyburn and the Melbourne Hospital [1895] AC 89 Nightingale v Goulbourn (1848) 2 Ph 594; 41 ER 1072 Nightingale v Goulburn (1847) 5 Hare 484; 67 ER 1003 Peggs v Lamb [1994] 2 WLR 1; [1994] Ch 172 Perpetual Trustee Company (Ltd) v St Luke's Hospital (1939) 39 SR (NSW) 408 Re Estate Polykarpou [2016] NSWSC 409 Re Harding (deceased) [2008] 2 WLR 361 Re Lowin [1965] NSWR 1624 Re Lowin [1967] 2 NSWR 140 Re Smith [1931] 2 Ch 364 Re Smith [1932] 1 Ch 153 Re Stone (deceased) (1970) 91 WN (NSW) 704 Re Tree [1945] 2 All ER 65 Re Twigger [1989] 3 NZLR 329 Smith v West Australian Trustee Executor & Agency Company Ltd (1950) 81 CLR 320; [1950] HCA 32 Tantau v Macfarlane [2010] NSWSC 224 Tatham v Huxtable (1950) 81 CLR 639; [1950] HCA 56 The Armenian General Benevolent Union v The Union Trustee Co of Australia Ltd (1952) 87 CLR 597; [1952] HCA 47 Verge v Somerville [1924] AC 496 Victorian Women Lawyers' Association Inc v Commissioner of Taxation (2008) 170 FCR 318; [2008] FCA 983 Texts Cited: G E Dal Pont, Law of Charity (2nd ed, 2017, LexisNexis Butterworths) JD Heydon and MJ Leeming, Jacobs' Law of Trusts in Australia (8th ed, 2016, LexisNexis Butterworths) Lord Collins (General Editor), Dicey, Morris and Collins on the Conflict of Laws (15th ed, 2012, Sweet & Maxwell) M Davies, A Bell, P Brereton, Nygh's Conflict of Laws in Australia (9th ed, 2014, LexisNexis Butterworths) W Henderson and J Fowles, Tudor on Charities (10th ed, 2015, Sweet & Maxwell) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Julia Nina Lever (Plaintiff) Attorney General of NSW (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: JE Armfield (Plaintiff) C Mantziaris (Defendant)