Olsen v Olsen & Ors [2019] NSWCA 278

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Olsen v Olsen & Ors [2019] NSWCA 278 Hearing dates: 1 October 2019 Decision date: 19 November 2019 Before: Meagher JA at [1]; White JA at [2]; Emmett AJA at [85] Decision: Appeal dismissed with costs. Catchwords: APPEALS – actual or apprehended bias – unfavourable comments at pre-trial hearing – whether primary judge dissuadable from alleged fixed opinion – criticism of legal representatives – whether justified – whether indicative of bias

SUCCESSION – family provision – claim by adult son – where deceased remarried – where deceased left entire estate to family from second marriage – deceased's moral obligation to widow – discussion of role of freedom of testamentary disposition in family provision claims Legislation Cited: Succession Act 2006 (NSW), ss 8, 59, 60, 91 Cases Cited: ALA15 v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection [2016] FCAFC 30 Concrete Pty Ltd v Parramatta Design & Developments Pty Ltd (2006) 229 CLR 577; [2006] HCA 55 Ebner v Official Trustee in Bankruptcy (2000) 205 CLR 337; [2000] HCA 63 Friend v Brien [2014] NSWSC 613 Gorton v Parks (1989) 17 NSWLR 1 House v The King (1936) 55 CLR 499; [1936] HCA 40 In re Sinnott (1948) VLR 279 Isbester v Knox City Council (2015) 255 CLR 135; [2015] HCA 20 Jamal v Director of Public Prosecutions (NSW) [2019] NSWCA 121 Johnson v Johnson (2000) 201 CLR 488; [2000] HCA 48 Kleinig v Neal (No 2) [1981] 2 NSWLR 532 Lloyd-Williams v Mayfield (2005) 63 NSWLR 1; [2005] NSWCA 189 Mayfield v Lloyd-Williams [2004] NSWSC 419 Michael Wilson & Partners Ltd v Nicholls (2011) 244 CLR 427; [2011] HCA 48 Olsen v Olsen [2019] NSWSC 217 Pontifical Society for the Propagation of the Faith v Scales (1962) 107 CLR 9; [1962] HCA 19 Reid v Commercial Club (Albury) Ltd [2014] NSWCA 98 Revell v Revell [2016] NSWSC 947 Sgro v Thompson [2017] NSWCA 326 Slack v Rogan (2013) 85 NSWLR 253; [2013] NSWSC 522 Squire v Squire [2019] NSWCA 90 Steinmetz v Shannon [2018] NSWSC 1090 Steinmetz v Shannon [2019] NSWCA 114; (2019) 368 ALR 161 Stott v Cook [1960] 33 ALJR 447 Taylor v Farrugia [2009] NSWSC 801 Vakuata v Kelly (1989) 167 CLR 568; [1989] HCA 44 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Craig Olsen (Appellant) Dean Richard Olsen (First Respondent) Micheline Isabelle Olsen (Second Respondent) Faye Beverley Olsen (Third Respondent) Representation: Counsel: I Coleman SC with L Clarke (Appellant) M Condon SC with D Robertson and Q Noakhtar (Respondents)