Chagos Islands: UK government blocked from signing deal by High Court judge in last-minute legal action
The agreement would largely see the UK hand control of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.
The UK government has temporarily been banned from concluding its negotiations on the Chagos Islands deal by an injunction granted in the early hours of today by a High Court judge.
In the injunction granted at 2.25am on Thursday, brought against the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Mr Justice Goose granted “interim relief” to Bertrice Pompe, who had previously taken steps to bring legal action over the deal.
Sir Keir Starmer had been expected to attend a virtual ceremony alongside representatives from the Mauritian government on Thursday morning to sign off on the deal.
Britain would give up sovereignty of the island territory to Mauritius under the deal, and lease back a crucial military base on the archipelago for 99 years.
Mr Justice Goose said in his order: “The defendant shall 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.”
Mr Justice Goose’s order continued: “The defendant shall in particular not dispose of the territory in whole or in part.
“The defendant is to maintain the jurisdiction of the United Kingdom over the British Indian Ocean Territory until further order.”
According to the order, the judge granted the injunction “upon consideration of the claimant’s application for interim relief made out of court hours” and “upon reading the defendants’ response”.
A hearing is now expected to take place on Thursday morning at 10.30am.
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