The federal government has been quickly blocked from concluding the Chagos Islands deal by a late-night Excessive Court docket injunction.
Ministers had been anticipated to finish a deal that will have seen the UK hand over sovereignty of the archipelago to Mauritius within the coming hours.
However in an emergency injunction granted early on Thursday, introduced in opposition to the Overseas Workplace, Mr Justice Goose allowed “interim relief” to Bertrice Pompe, who had beforehand taken steps to convey authorized motion over the deal.
Ms Pompe is a Chagossian lady who sees the deal as a betrayal of their rights.
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The order, granted at 2.25am, states the federal government could take “no conclusive or legally binding step to conclude its negotiations concerning the possible transfer of the British Indian Ocean Territory, also known as the Chagos Archipelago, to a foreign government or bind itself as to the particular terms of any such transfer”.
A listening to is predicted to happen on the Excessive Court docket at 10.30am on Thursday.
Picture:
The situation of the Chagos Islands
The federal government insisted this morning the Chagos Islands deal is the “right thing” for the UK.
A spokesperson stated: “We do not comment on ongoing legal cases. This deal is the right thing to protect the British people and our national security.”
It was anticipated that Sir Keir Starmer would attend a digital ceremony right this moment to formally hand over sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, regardless of heavy criticism from the Conservatives and Reform UK.
The federal government has argued worldwide authorized rulings in favour of Mauritius imply this handover is critical.
As a part of the deal, the UK will lease again a navy base on the archipelago for 99 years.
He stated: “You’re seeing British sovereign territory being given away to an ally of China and billions of pounds of British taxpayers money being spent for the privilege.
“So, if this group can pressure the federal government to suppose twice, then all energy to them.”
With this injunction in place, Sir Keir can now not legally full the deal.
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Ms Pompe, who filed the appliance for interim aid, believes the British authorities is appearing with disregard for the human rights of the Chagossian folks.
She has argued completion of the deal would quantity to a breach of the Human Rights Act and the Equality Act.
Chagossians are the previous residents of the Chagos Islands, who had been faraway from the islands, predominantly to Mauritius, between the mid-Nineteen Sixties and early-Seventies.
These born on the islands and their kids maintain British nationality, however subsequent generations born exterior British territory don’t have any entitlement to it.
