A Jamaican court has handed Adam Stewart another legal victory in the ongoing dispute over the estate of late hotel mogul Gordon “Butch” Stewart, founder of Sandals Resorts International.
According to a news report published by the Jamaica Gleaner, the Supreme Court struck out a claim brought by executors of Butch Stewart’s estate seeking permission to conduct a “red flag audit” of companies within the ATL Group.
The ruling marks the latest development in a long-running family and legal dispute over the administration of the business empire left behind following Butch Stewart’s death in 2021.
In a 24-page judgment, Justice Cresencia Brown Beckford ruled that the executors were acting in their capacity as executors of the will rather than trustees and therefore did not have standing under Jamaica’s Trusts Act to bring the claim.
“The executors’ duties, though they may overlap with trustee duties are not, in law, synonymous,” the judge said, according to the Jamaica Gleaner report.
The court also examined provisions within Butch Stewart’s will and found that shares relating to the ATL Group, including Gorstew Limited and Appliance Traders Limited, had not been placed into trust.
The executors had sought court approval to appoint a United States-based accounting firm to conduct the audit. However, the court ruled against the application and ordered the executors to pay Adam Stewart’s legal costs.
The decision represents a significant legal win for Adam Stewart and his siblings, Brian Jardim and Jaime Stewart, in the continuing battle over the late businessman’s estate.
The Jamaica Gleaner reported that the executors have been granted permission to appeal the ruling.