Recent developments in the Asia-Pacific region

In a survey of significant recent decisions in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Australia from 2011-13, the various decisions are dealt with thematically. Those themes concerned the enforceability by executors of confidentiality undertakings given to a deceased and so-called 'rights to privacy' of testators and trustees, the 'facilitative' construction of strictly worded powers of sale given to trustees, and in Australia specifically, the interaction of spousal property rights under the Commonwealth Family Law Act 1975 and inheritance rights and family provision claims under the state Succession Acts and finally, the landmark decision of Byrnes v Kendle 1 in which the High Court clarified the nature of the requisite intention to create an express trust.