High Court Finds Hubert Elrington Breached Fiduciary Duties

The High Court has ruled that attorney Hubert E. Elrington breached his fiduciary duties as executor of the estate of the late James Lightburn by failing to properly account for and distribute proceeds from the sale of estate property. In a judgment delivered by Justice M. Javed Mansoor, the court described the breaches as “grave,” noting that Elrington failed to comply with the will, did not distribute funds to beneficiaries, and did not file the required estate accounts. The claim was brought by Jasmin Lightburn, the main beneficiary, who was entitled to three-quarters of the estate, with the remainder to be shared among her late brother’s children.

The case centered on the sale of a 562.7-acre property at Ben Lemond Cornhouse, Creek Works Area, sold on June 13, 2017, for US$450,000, of which the estate’s share was US$225,000 or BZ$450,000. The court found that these proceeds were never properly accounted for or deposited into a bank account at Scotia Bank as required by the will, and that Jasmin received no distribution when she turned 18 in November 2023. Justice Mansoor noted there was no evidence of proper accounting and no compliance with the Administration of Estates Act.

The court granted judgment in Jasmin Lightburn’s favor and ordered Elrington to distribute the estate funds within 30 days, pay 5 percent annual interest from June 13, 2017 until judgment, file full and accurate accounts for all years, and pay $10,000 in costs. The Registrar was also directed to forward the judgment to the General Legal Council and the Bar Association for possible disciplinary action.

The ruling follows Elrington’s suspension in November 2025 by the General Legal Council for six months for grave professional misconduct in an unrelated matter, where he was ordered to pay $6,000 in restitution after failing to file a client’s claim and keep the client informed.