Jersey Case Law

Representation of Zedra Trust Company (Isle of Man) Limited re Rhino Settlement, Buffalo Trust and Giraffe Trust (Royal Court : Hearing

Representation of Zedra Trust Company (Isle of Man) Limited re Rhino Settlement, Buffalo Trust and Giraffe Trust (Royal Court : Hearing (Civil) : Binnington : Trust) [2026] JRC 025 (24 January 2026)

The Royal Court of Jersey refused to bless a trustee’s proposed partition of three trusts, finding the trustee had not adequately considered key beneficiary interests and relevant factors.

• Trustee powers
• Partition of trust assets
• Blessing applications
• Beneficiary interests
• Conflict of interest
• Procedural fairness

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Rassmal Investments LLC v Mubarak Abdullah Al Suwaiket & Sons and Ors (Royal Court : Hearing

Rassmal Investments LLC v Mubarak Abdullah Al Suwaiket & Sons and Ors (Royal Court : Hearing (Civil) : MacRae : Companies) [2025] JRC 331 (12 December 2025)

The Royal Court granted declaratory relief to reflect prior findings on valuation and repayment rights, but refused injunctive relief as too imprecise.

• Declaratory relief
• Valuation disputes
• Enforcement of judgments
• Declaratory-relief
• Valuation-disputes
• Injunctive-relief

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Representation of V Trustees Limited re N Trust (Royal Court : Costs

Representation of V Trustees Limited re N Trust (Royal Court : Costs (Civil) : Trust) [2025] JRC 208 (7 August 2025)

The Royal Court held the trustee had acted unreasonably and could recover only half its costs from the trust, but it refused to order the trustee to pay the guardian and beneficiary’s costs personally.

• Trustee indemnity
• Costs orders
• Fiduciary duties
• Beneficiary representation
• Trustee-indemnity
• Trust-costs

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Geneva Trust Company (GTC) SA v Tchenguiz (Royal Court : Hearing

Geneva Trust Company (GTC) SA v Tchenguiz (Royal Court : Hearing (Civil) : Birt : Trust) [2025] JRC 197 (30 July 2025)

The Royal Court of Jersey held that a 2014 indemnity for Guernsey litigation costs was not validly executed with authority, so GTC’s claim failed.

• Trustee indemnity
• Authority to sign
• Estoppel
• Contract formation
• Costs liability
• Trustee-indemnity

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Pender v GGH (Jersey) Limited (Royal Court : Hearing

Pender v GGH (Jersey) Limited (Royal Court : Hearing (Civil)) [2025] JRC 094 (2 April 2025)

The Royal Court fixed the fair value of Mr Pender’s 18% shareholding after an unfair prejudice finding, resolving valuation disputes over expenses, discount rate, and SFA cashflows.

• Unfair prejudice
• Share valuation
• Expert evidence
• Remedies for minority shareholders
• Unfair-prejudice
• Share-valuation

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Burmingham v Le Hegarat

Burmingham v Le Hegarat [2025] JRC 012 (14 January 2025)

The Royal Court of Jersey ordered the sale en licitation of La Presse, rejecting Edward Le Hegarat’s proprietary estoppel and unjust enrichment claims.

• Co-ownership
• Licitation
• Proprietary estoppel
• Unjust enrichment
• Wills and succession
• Proprietary-estoppel

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Representation of A Trustees Limited re the ABC Trust

Representation of A Trustees Limited re the ABC Trust [2024] JRC 221 (22 October 2024)

The Jersey Royal Court blessed a trustee’s settlement of litigation and authorised payment of a beneficiary’s legal fees by an interest-free loan, not a distribution.

• Court blessing of trustee decisions
• Conflict of interest in trusts
• Settlement of trust litigation
• Loans vs distributions from trusts
• Trusts
• Trustee-duties

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Representation of X Trust Limited in the matter of Q Trust and R Trust

The Royal Court blessed a trustee’s equal distribution and termination of two trusts after concluding earlier concerns on conflict, tax uncertainty, and valuation were sufficiently addressed.

• Momentous decision
• Blessing application
• Trust termination
• Distribution of trust assets
• Conflict of interest
• Tax liability

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Pender v GGH (Jersey) Limited and Ors

Pender v GGH (Jersey) Limited and Ors [2024] JRC 117 (17 May 2024)

The Jersey Royal Court gave directions on valuing a minority shareholding after unfair prejudice findings, selecting the latest approved model and key valuation adjustments.

• Unfair prejudice
• Share valuation
• Minority shareholder rights
• Remedies under companies (jersey) law 1991
• Unfair-prejudice
• Share-valuation

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Representation of RBC Trustees (Jersey) Limited re the L M Will Trust

Representation of RBC Trustees (Jersey) Limited re the L M Will Trust [2024] JRC 107 (10 May 2024)

The Jersey Royal Court set aside trust distributions made on incorrect tax advice, finding a serious mistake under Article 47G and noting Article 47H would also apply.

• Mistake in trust administration
• Tax consequences of trust distributions
• Setting aside distributions
• Consequential relief
• Trust-mistake
• Tax-consequences

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