Elrington’s Appeal Denied: Court Upholds Suspension Over “Grave Misconduct” 

Senior Counsel Hubert Elrington’s law licence stays suspended. On Friday, the Court of Appeal shut down his bid to overturn a six-month ban from practising law. 

The Court unanimously upheld the General Legal Council’s finding that he committed “grave professional misconduct.”

The suspension was imposed on Elrington in November 2025, along with an order to repay $6,000 in restitution to former client Orpha Martinez. The suspension stays in force until that money is fully repaid.

Martinez lodged the original complaint after paying Elrington $6,000 to file a civil lawsuit over property in Benque Viejo Town. Seven years passed without him filing the claim. She says he repeatedly offered excuses for the delay, failed to keep her informed, and refused to return her money.

Elrington took the case to the Court of Appeal, represented by his son, attorney O.J. Elrington. The court dismissed the appeal in its entirety, affirmed the sanctions against the 78-year-old senior lawyer, and ordered him to pay Martinez’s court costs.

The ruling adds to a mounting list of professional troubles for Elrington. In January, the High Court found he breached his fiduciary duties as executor of the estate of the late James Lightburn, ordering him to repay more than $337,000 with interest dating back to 2017. Court sources say that payment also remains outstanding, months after the deadline passed.