Lisamae Gordon (Appellant) v The General Legal Council (Respondent) (Jamaica)

Case summary

Case ID

JCPC/2026/0012

Jurisdiction

Jamaica

Parties

Appellant(s)

Lisamae Gordon

Respondent(s)

The Disciplinary Committee of the General Legal Council

Issue

Did the General Legal Council and Court of Appeal err in finding the appellant attorney, who acted for the vendor of a property, owed a duty of care the property’s prospective purchasers and negligently breached it?

Facts

Ms Lisamae Gordon (‘the appellant’) is a Jamaican attorney-at-law. She agreed to act for Mrs Kathleen Robinson, and her son Mr Howard Jobson, in respect of property transaction. This transaction concerned certain land at Orange Grove on Jamaica’s north coast said to be owned by Mrs Robinson. The purchasers were Mr Baron Barnett and Mrs Charmaine Barnett. Mr and Mrs Barnett paid the appellant US$35,000 by way of a deposit. The appellant transferred this money to Mr Jobson. Mr and Mrs Barnett subsequently became concerned about the transaction. They discovered that Mrs Robinson was not entitled to sell the Orange Grove land because it was subject to an injunction. Mr and Mrs Barnett made a complaint to the General Legal Council alleging that the appellant had agreed to act for them as well as for Mrs Robinson. They alleged that the appellant’s failure to warn them Mr Jobson had no right to sell the Orange Grove land was negligent. The appellant’s defence was that she was not Mr and Mrs Barnett’s attorney and acted solely for the vendor. The General Legal Council upheld Mr and Mrs Barnett’s complaint, barred the appellant from practising as an attorney for six months, and ordered the her to pay a fine of US$35,000. This finding and penalty were upheld on appeal by the Court of Appeal of Jamaica. The appellant now appeals to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council.

Date of issue

16 February 2026

Case origin

PTA

Back to top