Antonnette Haughton Cardenas

Findings — machine-extracted (anthropic-batch:claude-opus-4-8); verify against the decision

The respondent attorney, Mrs Antonnette Haughton-Cardenas, was the subject of a complaint that she failed to deliver accountants' reports for the years 1999-2003 contrary to regulation 16(1) of the Legal Profession (Accounts and Records) Regulations 1999. Before the Disciplinary Committee she argued the General Legal Council had no power under section 35 of the Legal Profession Act 1971 to make regulation 16. The Committee rejected this, but the Court of Appeal of Jamaica accepted her argument and allowed her appeal. The Privy Council first held it had jurisdiction (rejecting the argument that the Disciplinary Committee was not a 'court of Jamaica'), then held on the merits that the Council's general power under section 35(2) to take action necessary to ascertain compliance included power to make regulation 16. The Board allowed the Council's appeal, with costs here and below, and remitted the complaint to the Disciplinary Committee. No finding of professional misconduct or dishonesty was made against the respondent in this judgment.