Ballard v Attorney-General for Victoria

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF VICTORIA Not Restricted

AT MELBOURNE

COMMERCIAL & EQUITY DIVISION
PRACTICE COURT  S CI 2010 5303

IN THE MATTER OF the Will, Codicils and Estate of Sir William Charles Angliss, deceased

AND IN THE MATTER OF Rule 54.02 of the Supreme Court (General Civil Procedure) Rules 2005

AND IN THE MATTER OF s 7L of the Charities Act 1978

AND IN THE MATTER OF s 63 of the Trustee Act 1958

GRAEME WILLIAM BALLARD AND OTHERS	Plaintiff
v
THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR THE STATE OF VICTORIA	Defendant

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JUDGE:	KYROU J
WHERE HELD:	Melbourne
DATE OF HEARING:	20 October 2010
DATE OF JUDGMENT:	18 November 2010
CASE MAY BE CITED AS:	Ballard v Attorney-General for Victoria
MEDIUM NEUTRAL CITATION:	[2010] VSC 525

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TRUSTS AND TRUSTEES – Application for approval of amendments to the terms of two large charitable trusts established under a will made in 1954 – Estate fully administered – Trustees continuing to administer the trusts – Provisions of the will are out of date and detract from the efficient administration of the trusts.

TRUSTS AND TRUSTEES – Power of Court to approve amendments to the terms of charitable trusts – Proposed amendments deal with the appointment and qualification of trustees; the term of office of trustees; the quorum, voting power and procedures of the trustees; the retention and accumulation of income; the remuneration of trustees; the incorporation of a custodian company; and the removal of redundant provisions – Trustee Act 1958 (Vic) s 63, Charities Act 1978 (Vic) s 7L – Supreme Court (General Civil Procedure) Rules 2005 (Vic) r 54.02.

PRIVATE INTERNATIONAL LAW – Jurisdiction – Proper Law – Construction and interpretation – Distributions from charitable trust made to Queensland charities, but trust administered in Victoria by trustees resident in Victoria.

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APPEARANCES:	Counsel	Solicitors
The First, Second and Thirdnamed Plaintiffs	Mr R M Garratt QC, with Mr W F Rimmer	Cornwall Stodart
The Defendant	–	Mr R McInnes, Victorian Government Solicitor’s Office

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction and summary..................................................................................................... 1

Factual background................................................................................................................. 2

The Court’s power to grant the relief sought....................................................................... 4

The Court’s jurisdiction and the governing law of the Funds......................................... 4
Section 63 of the Trustee Act............................................................................................... 5

‘In the management or administration’ of property vested in trustees..................... 6
‘Expedient’.................................................................................................................... 7

Section 7L of the Charities Act............................................................................................ 8
Rule 54.02 of the Rules....................................................................................................... 9

First amendment:  appointment and qualification of trustees......................................... 10

Second amendment:  term of office of new trustees......................................................... 11

Third amendment:  quorum, voting power and procedures of trustees.......................... 12

Fourth amendment:  retention and accumulation of income............................................ 13

Fifth amendment:  remuneration of trustees...................................................................... 14

Sixth amendment:  incorporation of custodian company.................................................. 17

Consolidation of the terms of the trusts established by the Will.................................... 18

Proposed order....................................................................................................................... 19

HIS HONOUR:

Introduction and summary

1. This is an application under s 63 of the Trustee Act 1958 (Vic), s 7L of the Charities Act 1978 (Vic) and r 54.02 of the Supreme Court (General Civil Procedure) Rules 2005 (Vic) (‘Rules’) for…