High court judge Justice Renee Williams has abruptly recused himself from a long-running civil case between businessman Jack Stroll and the Global Bank of Commerce and its chief executive, Brian Stuart-Young, delaying what had been expected to be a final resolution after almost six years of litigation.

Justice Renee Williams convened an emergency hearing and informed attorneys for both sides that he would step aside for personal reasons, without elaborating, according to lawyers present.

The matter was reassigned to Justice Birnie Stephenson, a Family Court judge who has been assisting with civil caseloads. Stephenson told the court she had only been notified of the transfer the previous evening and was not familiar with the details of the case.

As a result, much of Tuesday’s hearing was spent reviewing prior proceedings to bring the new judge up to speed.

Counsel for the bank, Dr David Dorsett, sought to assist by submitting a schedule outlining the history of applications. While Stroll’s attorney Leslie Thomas KC said the document was helpful, he cautioned that he had not yet verified its accuracy.

He also challenged submissions by Stuart-Young’s attorney, Jason Tiwari, who argued that his client was being sued solely in his professional capacity as chief executive of the bank. Stroll’s lawyer countered that Stuart-Young had, from the outset, acted in that capacity, including signing a consent order as CEO, but said opposing counsel was now relying on a deed of guarantee to establish personal liability.

The issue arose when Dorsett argued that the case should be subject to a statutory stay because the bank is under official administration. He contended that, as an officer of the bank, Stuart-Young would also be affected by such a stay and asked the court to halt proceedings.

Justice Stephenson made it clear during the proceedings that, given the bank’s status under official administration, communication should be directed to the appointed administrator, Kathy David, who now oversees its operations. She noted that this approach is consistent with established precedent in similar cases, including those involving CLICO and BAICO.

Official administration is typically triggered when regulators determine that a financial institution is in significant distress and unable to continue operating safely on its own. In the case of Global Bank of Commerce, that intervention came on November 10, 2025, when the Chief Executive Officer of the Financial Services Regulatory Commission (FSRC) signed the order placing the bank into administration.

Earlier this year, Stroll’s lead counsel, applied for the stay to be lifted. He likely relied in part that in a ruling delivered last April, Justice Williams ordered that the bank and Stuart-Young, in his personal capacity, pay $10 million to Stroll.

Justice Stephenson has adjourned the matter to July 23, the final day of her current court sittings, to allow time to review the case.

She directed Thomas to file a chronology of applications from the time of Justice Williams’ judgment and its terms, specifically addressing the basis for Stuart-Young’s alleged personal liability. She also ordered that no further applications be filed ahead of the next hearing and indicated the matter would return for a status review and further directions on how the case should proceed if necessary.