Section 61 of the Trustee Act 1925: A Judicious Breach of Trust?

Haley, Michael

Abstract

This article is concerned with s. 61 of the Trustee Act 1925. It will analyse the origins, design and modern day operation of the jurisdiction to relieve a trustee from personal liability following a breach of trust. It will revisit the threshold conditions of honesty, reasonableness and fairness and, in the context of mortgage fraud, contend that this exculpatory jurisdiction ought not extend to the bare commercial trust that exists between the mortgagee and its solicitor. Defects, uncertainties and shortcomings associated with s. 61 will also be addressed.

Citation

Haley, M. (2017). Section 61 of the Trustee Act 1925: A Judicious Breach of Trust?. Cambridge Law Journal, 76(3), 537-565. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0008197317000629

• Acceptance Date: Sep 7, 2017
• Online Publication Date: Sep 7, 2017
• Publication Date: Nov 1, 2017
• Publicly Available Date: May 26, 2023
• Journal: The Cambridge Law Journal
• Print ISSN: 0008-1973
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Volume: 76
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 537-565
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0008197317000629
• Keywords: trustee; breach; s.61; relief; honesty; reasonableness; fairness
• Publisher URL: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/cambridge-law-journal/article/section-61-of-the-trustee-act-1925-a-judicious-breach-of-trust/813649F8FD6F585A19606E379B736943