SINGAPORE MANAGEMENT UNIVERSITY

SCHOOL OF LAW

LAW 303 - LAW OF EQUITY & TRUSTS

READING LIST

WEEK ONE – INTRODUCTION

A. Historical development of equity and the relationship between common law and equity

Read one of the following:

Pearce, Stevens & Barr Ch 2
Pettit, Ch 1

Lau Siew Kim v Teo Guan Chye Terence [2008] 2 SLR 108, [24] – [33]

B. Jurisdiction & Maxims

Pearce, Stevens & Barr pp 28 – 34 or Pettit, pp 25 - 28

Civil Law Act, Cap 43, sections 3 and 4
Supreme Court of Judicature Act (Cap. 322), section 18
Subordinate Courts Act (Cap. 321), sections 31 & 52

C. Continuing importance of equity

(1) Creativity of equity

Western Fish Products v Penwith DC [1981] 2 All ER at 218 (per Megaw LJ)
Cowcher v Cowcher [1972] 1 WLR 425 at 430 (per Bagnall J.)
Lau Siew Kim v Teo Guan Chye Terence [2008] 2 SLR 108, [24] – [33]

(2) Fusion of equity and law?

Seager v Copydex [1967] 1 WLR 923

United Scientified Holdings v Burnley Borough Council [1978] AC 904.
Harris v Digital Pulse Pty Ltd [2003] NSWCA 10; 197 ALR 626; see note by J Edelman,
“A “fusion fallacy” fallacy?” (2003) 119 LQR 375

A Burrows, “We Do This at Common Law But That in Equity” (2002) 22 OJLS 1.
K Mason, “Fusion: Fallacy, Future or Finished”
http://www.lawlink.nsw.gov.au/lawlink/Supreme_Court/ll_sc.nsf/vwPrint1/SCO_mason161
204

Kirby, “Equity’s Australian Isolationism” 20 November 2008

http://www.law.qut.edu.au/ljj/.../10_CurrentIssues_ Equity_KIRBY.pdf
 (3) Outline of equitable remedies

(4) The concept of trust

See below.

D. The concept of trust

Pearce, Stevens & Barr, pp 71 – 82 or Pettit, Ch 1 & 2

Re A Solicitor [1952] Ch 328 per Roxburgh J:

“As the principles of equity permeate the complications of modern life, the nature and variety of
trusts ever grow.”
Further reading: Gardner, An Introduction to the Law of Trusts, Ch 1

 Trust has moved out of the family context into the commercial world

(1) Definition?
- Why is definition important? So that you can distinguish it from other relationships (and it has
certain consequences)
- How do you define the trust? See: Lord Browne Wilkinson in Westdeutsche & Gardner’s definition
&
-

Raynor v Preston (1881) 18 Ch D 1

Westdeutsche Landesbank v Islington [1996] AC 669

(2) Fundamentals of the concept

i. Form of property ownership

ii. Separation of legal and equitable title
iii. Settlors, trustees and beneficiaries
iv. Nature of beneficial ownership
Saunders v Vautier (1841) 4 Beav 115

(3) Distinguishing trust from other legal relationships

Pettit, pp 30 – 32

i. Contract
Henry v Hammond [1912] 2 KB 515, 521
Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 (Cap. 53B)
Optional: C.H. Tham (2005), "Trust, not Contract: Restoring Trust in the
Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act", Journal of Contract Law, vol. 21, 107–
130

ii. Debt
Barclays Bank v Quistclose Investments [1970] AC 567
Twinsectra v Yardley [2002] UKHL 12; [2002] 2 AC 164
 iii. Trust and agency

iv. Trust and bailment

(4) Classification of trusts

Pettit, pp 66 - 76