A dramatic overnight ruling by the High Court has halted the UK Government’s planned handover of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, just hours before ministers were expected to sign the controversial agreement.
In a first-of-its-kind decision, Mr Justice Sir Julian Goose granted an emergency injunction at approximately 2:25am on Thursday morning, effectively blocking the treaty from being concluded until a full judicial review is heard.
The hearing is scheduled for 10:30am today.
The ruling follows a legal challenge from Bertrice Pompe, a British Chagossian born on Diego Garcia and exiled as an infant. Represented by Philip Rule KC, Pompe argued that the treaty was proceeding without meaningful consultation with the Chagossian community — a population displaced by the UK in the 1960s and 1970s to make way for the Anglo-American military base on Diego Garcia.
A Chagossian-led rally, organised by Friends of the British Overseas Territories (FOTBOT), is taking place outside the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and the High Court between 9am and 12pm today. Organisers are calling for justice, transparency, and an immediate halt to the treaty negotiations.
“This historic intervention marks the first time in UK legal history that a treaty has been paused by court order,” FOTBOT said in a statement, welcoming the ruling and urging the Government to “urgently engage with the Chagossian community in good faith.”
The treaty, reportedly worth £9 billion, has faced mounting criticism over the exclusion of Chagossians from negotiations and concerns about the implications for UK national security and conservation. Diego Garcia, the largest island in the Chagos archipelago, hosts a strategically vital joint UK-US military base — a cornerstone of Western operations in the Indian Ocean.
The legal challenge argues that the deal undermines the rights of displaced Chagossians, who have long campaigned for the right to return to their homeland. Critics of the treaty have also questioned the security implications of transferring sovereignty of a region that hosts one of the world’s most significant military installations.
FOTBOT concluded its statement by reaffirming its support for the Chagossian community and reiterating its call for the Government to “immediately halt the deal and listen to the voices of those most affected.”
Ludicrous arrangement accepting an idiotic non binding ruling from a kangaroo court. By all means do something to help the displaced chagossians but no need to pay Mauritius anything at all.
Wherever next ?
Not even a “Fullwit” could adequately explain this deal as a good thing.
It’s only ‘worth £9 billion’ to Mauritius. To us it’s just a matter of giving away a huge sum of money (that we urgently need to spend elsewhere), leasing back territory that we already own. And the reason it’s been stopped by the court is that it ignores the wishes of the people who were actually displaced- which was the whole basis of the do-gooder argument in the first place. Genius.
Exactly
Exactly. Rip up the treaty and continue as now. Ignore all legal attempts to force the UK government to do anything.
If that upsets a few banana republics then so be it
Does anyone know if this decision would be reversible by a future government? I struggle to believe this is at all lawful, even beyond the unheard voices of the Chagos islanders.
Most likely not, that would be tantamount to unilateral annexation of part of another country. Would be a major international scandal
I had a feeling it would be like that, thanks!
It should go to the Chagossians who should get to choose between us, Mauritius and independence.
But we all know the US would put a stop to that in a heartbeat, so what is the actual purpose of all of this?
I understand that most Chagossians favour continuance of the current arrangements as they distrust Mauririus. Those that wish to return to the islands would like some local autonomy but to be under British rule and protection at the higher level.
Loony Starmer is the problem and his leftie lawyer friends….
Let’s hope the Judges stop it all together under EHCR rules. Now that would be poetic…..
Silly question. The base is mainly for the benefit of America… how much will they be expected to pay for all this? Or is it another case of America ripping off the UK?
I’ve seriously never heard a convincing argument as to why this is being done. I’m sure if one could be supplied it would at least quell SOME of the fury. Best I’ve heard is that it is consistent with international law… as if that means anything. I’m sure the international police will come knocking any day now
I’m sure I recall Franciio standing up in parliament and showing a Clause in the agreement with this UN ‘court’ that we would not give up any territory in any ruling! Maybe wrong but anyone else remember this?
Me cutting my toenails is consistent with international law, but nobody is giving me £9bn for a new pair of scissors.
What does anyone expect?
The idiocy and ability to self harm by design of various British government’s never fails to depress.
Starmer pushing on with because as a lawyer he thinks he should follow the ICJ ruling.
Best solution is to allow Chagossians to return. Depending on numbers that want to, allow them to live and work on Diego Garcia – most bases have civilian workers fulfilling duties.
Or develop one or more of the other islands/ atolls in the group as a permanent home for them.
Don’t involve Mauritius.
Don’t hand over cash that’s needed in the UK.
Great news.
Time to give heads a collective wobble; rethink and involve Islanders in future relations.
Should the Islanders wish to become BIOT, rip their hands hands off and move on and keep China out.
Disastrous and nonsensical deal from every angle.
This UK government has given every excuse any the sun for why they are so desperate to yield territory to a nation hundreds of miles away that is vocally saying it wants closer ties with China and Russian…..and non of them stack up!
The ICJ is a non-binding court stacked with dubious characters. If we truly cared about the rights of the Chagossian’s we could use a fraction of the money being gifted to Mauritius to help those that wish to resettle the other islands.
And the security of the base will never be as strong as it is now once sovereignty is signed away.
Fast forward 20 years and we’ll see the biodiversity of the territory ravaged, Mauritius demanding more money and trying to impose all sorts of restrictions on the use of the base, whilst China has it under constant surveillance from facilities on nearby islands or from naval vessels, whilst not one Chagossian will have been allowed to re-settle and Britain is an international laughing stock.
If this isn’t about Starmer and Lammy’s desperation to appease and cosy up to the Davos, human rights types then it can only be outright corruption and vested interests.
Wish we’d follow the French example when grifters bemoan their control of various territories and tell them to f**k off!!!
The whole deal is idiotic. The once local people want their islands back. Fair enough. They don’t want Mauritius. Let the original locals come back & pay rental for the base to the locals. They never should have been removed. Bases need employees, either internal or external. It was a natural win win. Security clearances are easy when stuck on an island. First mistake was made when the locals were evicted. Would have been cheaper & easier to have offered everyone a job. Rental paid to a local territory government to help with schools, health, policing etc.Stupidity then & stupidity now.
Starmer is a worse PM than Chamberlin, at least you can make a case for his appeasement of Hitler.
Alas, It was but a momentary blip of sense in a long series of stupidity.
“Stupid is what stupid does.”
We either go by self-determination (Falklands, Gibraltar, everywhere else) or we don’t. If we accept the ICJ ruling, how do we seriously go “nah not this time” if they then make a ruling that goes against self-determination?
The only response to the ruling should have been that the islands sovereignty will be decided by the Chagossians alone, then we should have started on the referendum arrangements.
We can also stuff all their pockets with generational wealth for far less than this “deal” as compensation/base rental.
As much as we can hate on Starmer (for not immediately shutting it down and the continued process), this ruling was accepted by the Conservatives and the negotiation (or surrender if you prefer) process was started by them, don’t forget that.
It’s time for an “upon further consultation” statement, however the government are going to argue against the Chagossians and blow our “commitment to self-determination” out of the water along with it.