The High Court has ruled the Chagos deal can go ahead after an emergency injunction was put into place.
The deal, which would see Britain give up sovereignty of the island territory to Mauritius and lease back a crucial military base there, was due to be signed this morning but was temporarily blocked by a High Court judge hours before.
Chagossians protesting outside the High Court
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Supporters outside the High Court in central London
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Bertice Pompe (left) and Bernadette Dugasse outside the High Court in central London
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During the hearing, Philip Rule KC, for Pompe, had asked for the block on concluding the deal to continue to prevent “significant prejudice to the claimant”.
Rule, appearing by video link from New York, later said it was “fanciful” to say that the deal would not be able to go ahead on a date other than Thursday.
He said: “The objectives of both sides will not have changed… They are not going to abandon that claim in the next two or three weeks.”
Mr Justice Chamberlain, summarising a document given to the court by the Government, said: “The agreement can be concluded today and it does not necessarily have to be at 9am.”
He then asked Sir James Eadie KC, for the FCDO, whether “the agreement can still be concluded if it is concluded today.” Eadie confirmed that was the case.
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Supporters outside the High Court in central London, during a hearing over a last-minute block on the Government from concluding its deal on the Chagos Islands
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A Government spokesman welcomed the ruling paving the way for the deal to be signed, saying the agreement is “vital to protect the British people and our national security.”
More to follow…
