Court upholds disbarment of lawyer for dishonesty

Court Upholds Disbarment of Lawyer for Dishonesty

The Supreme Court of Vanuatu has rejected an appeal by lawyer Christina Thyna Gesa against two disciplinary rulings issued by the Disciplinary Committee of the Vanuatu Law Council. These rulings resulted in her removal from the Register of Legal Practitioners.

Appeal Proceedings

The appeal was overseen by Justice Edwin Peter Goldsbrough and heard on 1 October 2025, with the final judgment handed down on 31 October 2025. Ms. Gesa challenged two specific decisions, known as the Clark Decision and the James Decision.

Details of Disciplinary Decisions

Both decisions were made by the Disciplinary Committee in March 2022, following complaints lodged by two of Ms. Gesa’s clients. The Committee found her guilty of professional misconduct, describing her conduct as dishonest and resulting in her removal from the Roll of Practitioners.

The Clark Decision

The Committee concluded that Ms. Gesa failed to properly manage client funds. Funds received from a client were deposited into her business account and used for personal purposes, including paying another client’s legal fees without permission. The Committee described this misuse as:

“dishonest and equivalent to theft.”

This finding formed the basis for the disciplinary action against her.

The James Decision

The text does not provide specific details on the James Decision beyond its confirmation of the disciplinary action against Ms. Gesa.

Summary

The Court's rejection of the appeal confirms the disciplinary committee’s findings of dishonesty and professional misconduct against Ms. Gesa, enforcing her removal from legal practice.

The Supreme Court of Vanuatu has dismissed an appeal filed by lawyer Christina Thyna Gesa against two disciplinary decisions of the Disciplinary Committee of the Vanuatu Law Council, which ordered her removal from the Register of Legal Practitioners.

Author's summary: The Supreme Court of Vanuatu upheld a lawyer's disbarment after finding her guilty of dishonesty in handling client funds, reinforcing strict professional conduct standards.

Vanuatu Daily Post — 2025-11-04