Labour made ‘unlawful decisions’ over Chagos deal.
Sir Keir Starmer to be challenged for allegedly not consulting islanders about the right to live on the archipelago
Labour made “unlawful decisions” over its controversial Chagos surrender, the High Court has been told.
Three Chagossians are seeking to challenge Sir Keir Starmer’s Government over alleged failings, including not consulting the islanders about a “right to abode” on the archipelago.
The Prime Minister provoked a backlash after announcing plans to hand over sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, in a deal that would involve leasing back a crucial military base on Diego Garcia for 99 years.
The agreement was signed after a last-minute High Court challenge by one of the Chagossians, Bertrice Pompe, was dismissed. It had delayed the signing by several hours. The agreement has not yet been ratified as it requires approval by Parliament.
At a hearing on Tuesday, lawyers for the three Chagossians, Ms Pompe, Misley Mandarin and Michel Mandarin, asked a judge for the green light to proceed with a legal challenge against the Government for failures to “adequately and lawfully consult with the Chagossian people” about their interests, including the right to live on the archipelago.
The Government is opposing the bid, with its lawyers claiming that the challenge is a “collateral attack on an international agreement”.
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