In a dramatic early-morning intervention, the UK High Court has temporarily blocked Britain’s planned transfer of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, just hours before a long-anticipated agreement was set to be signed.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer had been expected to take part in a virtual ceremony to conclude months of negotiations.
The deal would have seen the UK begin the formal process of relinquishing control over the remote Indian Ocean territory – one of the last vestiges of its colonial empire and home to the strategically important U.S.-UK military base at Diego Garcia.
At 2:25 a.m. on Thursday, Justice Julian Nicholas Goose issued a legal injunction, halting the government’s plans. The order was in response to a legal claim brought by Bertrice Pompe, a British woman born on Diego Garcia, who raised concerns over the transfer.
In the ruling, which was directed at the Foreign Office and obtained by the Press Association, Justice Goose ordered: “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.”
He further ruled: “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.”
A formal High Court hearing began later that morning at 10:30 a.m. in London. The outcome could determine whether Britain proceeds with the transfer or is forced to reconsider its obligations to Chagossians and its international commitments.
Reacting to the injunction, a government spokesperson said: “We do not comment on ongoing legal cases. This deal is the right thing to protect the British people and our national security.”
The blocked transfer marks a significant moment in the long-running dispute over the Chagos Islands.
The UK has faced international criticism and legal pressure over its continued control of the territory, especially from the United Nations and the International Court of Justice, both of which have called for the islands to be returned to Mauritius.
What’s at Stake?
- Diego Garcia: A vital military outpost shared by the U.S. and UK, used for operations across the Middle East and Indo-Pacific.
- Chagossian Rights: Thousands of islanders were forcibly removed in the 1960s and 70s. Many have spent decades seeking justice and the right to return.
- Diplomatic Fallout: Any failure to proceed with the agreement could strain relations with Mauritius and undermine Britain’s post-Brexit global positioning.
The High Court’s decision is not final, but it has thrown a major wrench into the UK’s foreign policy timetable — and revived one of the most painful colonial legacies still unresolved in British politics. Further updates are expected following the court’s deliberations.
