Croft v Sanders [2019] NSWCA 303

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Croft v Sanders [2019] NSWCA 303 Hearing dates: 3 June 2019 Decision date: 12 December 2019 Before: Bathurst CJ at [1]; Gleeson JA at [2]; White JA at [3] Decision: Appeal dismissed with costs. Catchwords: SUCCESSION — contested probate — testamentary capacity — application of test in Banks v Goodfellow — where will apparent rational on its face — where evidence of hallucinations or delusions — whether delusions or hallucinations affected the provisions of the will — whether deceased was able to comprehend and appreciate the claims to which deceased ought to have given effect Cases Cited: Bailey v Bailey (1924) 34 CLR 558; [1924] HCA 21 Banks v Goodfellow (1870) LR 5 QB 549 Brown v McEnroe (1890) 11 NSWR Eq 134 Bull v Fulton (1942) 66 CLR 295; [1942] HCA 13 Gibbons v Wright (1954) 91 CLR 423; [1954] HCA 17 In the Estate of Park [1954] P 112 Re Estates Croft, deceased [2018] NSWSC 1303 Re Griffith; Easter v Griffith (1995) 217 ALR 284 Ridge v Rowden; Estate of Dowling (Supreme Court of New South Wales, Santow J, 10 April 1996, unreported, BC9601342 Wechsler v Du Maurier [2002] NSWCA 13 Worth v Clasohm (1952) 86 CLR 439 Zorbas v Sidiropoulos (No. 2) [2009] NSWCA 197 Texts Cited: Mason and Handler, Succession Law and Practice NSW, LexisNexis [13,045] Category: Principal judgment Parties: Leah Croft (First Appellant) Esther Croft (Second Appellant) Anna Sanders (First Respondent) David John Sanders (Second Respondent) Representation: Counsel: G P McNally SC with D G Stewart (Appellants) L Ellison SC with S Reuben (Respondents)