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TRUSTEE ACT 1925 - SECT 63 Advice

TRUSTEE ACT 1925 - SECT 63

Advice

    (1)     A trustee may apply to the Supreme Court for an opinion, advice or direction on any question respecting the management or administration of the trust property, or respecting the interpretation of the trust instrument.

    (2)     If the trustee acts in accordance with the opinion, advice or direction, he or she shall be deemed, so far as regards his or her own responsibility, to have discharged his or her duty as trustee in the subject matter of the application, provided that he or she has not been guilty of any fraud or wilful concealment or misrepresentation in obtaining the opinion, advice or direction.

    (3)     Unless otherwise prescribed by rules of court, the application may be made by summons or appointment upon a written statement signed by the trustee or his or her lawyer.

    (4)     Unless the Supreme Court otherwise directs, it shall not be necessary to serve notice of the application on any person, or to adduce evidence by affidavit or otherwise in support of the application.

    (5)     Where the question is who are the beneficiaries or what are their rights as between themselves, the trustee before conveying or distributing any property in accordance with the opinion, advice or direction shall, unless the Supreme Court otherwise directs, give notice to any person whose rights as beneficiary may be prejudiced by the conveyance or distribution.

    (6)     The notice shall state shortly the opinion, advice or direction, and the intention of the trustee to convey or distribute in accordance with it.

    (7)     Any person who claims that his or her rights as beneficiary will be prejudiced by the conveyance or distribution may within such time as may be prescribed by rules of court, or as may be fixed by the Supreme Court, apply to the court for such order or directions as the circumstances may require, and during such time and while the application is pending, the trustee shall abstain from making the conveyance or distribution.

    (8)     Subject to subsection (7), anyone on whom notice of any application under this section is served or to whom notice is given in accordance with subsection (5) shall be bound by the opinion, advice or direction of the Supreme Court, or by the order and directions of the court, as the case may be, as if the opinion, advice or direction, or the order and directions, had been given or made upon the hearing of an application to which such person was a party.