APPEALS — Procedural fairness — argument raised on appeal not pleaded or argued below — prejudice to respondent — where steps may have been taken at first instance had argument been raised below — new argument not permitted to be raised on appeal
EQUITY — Breach of fiduciary duty — application of first limb of Barnes v Addy — knowing receipt of “trust property” — knowledge requirement — degree of requisite knowledge — relevance of a “want of probity” — where ATO received “trust property” in satisfaction of defaulting fiduciary’s tax liabilities — where there were unchallenged findings that the ATO had actual and constructive knowledge that the funds were obtained in breach of fiduciary duty and were traceable — whether Commonwealth could rely on its statutory obligations — no special protection — knowledge requirement made out
EQUITY — Breach of fiduciary duty — application of first limb of Barnes v Addy — knowing receipt of “trust property” — meaning of “trust property” — where defaulting fiduciary obtained unauthorised profits in breach of fiduciary duty — whether unauthorised profits comprised “trust property” — where unauthorised profits comprised “new property” never legally owned by the principal — discussion of principle in Keech v Sandford (1726) 25 ER 223, Furs Ltd v Tomkies (1936) 54 CLR 583, Keith Henry & Co Pty Ltd v Stuart Walker & Co Pty Ltd (1958) 100 CLR 342 and other cases — unauthorised profits obtained in breach of fiduciary are held on trust for principal — trust arises at moment of breach — trust arises independently of curial intervention — discussion of remedial and institutional constructive trusts
EQUITY — Breach of fiduciary duty — application of first limb of Barnes v Addy — knowing receipt of “trust property” — meaning of “trust property” — whether personal remedy on defaulting fiduciary to account altered the nature of trust property — effect, if any, of such a remedy on the character of the “trust property” — prior judicial determination did not alter character of “trust property” — errant fiduciary not entitled to treat funds as if they were his property — third party knowing recipient remained liable to account
Quick Take
1Profits obtained by a fiduciary in breach of the duty of loyalty are held on institutional constructive trust for the principal from the moment of breach, constituting 'trust property' for first limb Barnes v Addy purposes; this extends to 'new property' the principal never legally owned, and does not depend on a curial declaration or proprietary remedy being ordered against the defaulting fiduciary.
2A personal remedy (account of profits) ordered against a defaulting fiduciary does not extinguish the trust character of the profits for the purpose of a knowing receipt claim against a third party; the doctrine of merger cannot be invoked by a party that has not established privity with the defaulting fiduciary.
3'Want of probity' is not an additional free-standing element for first limb Barnes v Addy liability in Australian law; it is merely a shorthand description of the established Baden knowledge categories (actual knowledge, wilful blindness, wilful and reckless failure to inquire, or constructive knowledge).
Case Details
Citation[2026] NSWCA 161
CourtNSWCA
JurisdictionNew South Wales
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