It was meant to be a simple question of fairness: should the Chagossian people have a say over the future of their own homeland? Today the High Court answered by refusing to let that question even be tested at a full hearing. The Great British PAC has reacted with deep disappointment after judges declined to grant permission for the first Chagossian Judicial Review, the case that challenged the Government's failure to properly consult the Chagossian people about the future of the Chagos Islands.
Heard on 28 October 2025, the claim rested on a straightforward principle: that the Chagossians, forcibly removed from their islands, must be consulted before any decisions are taken about the sovereignty and future governance of the Chagos Archipelago.
Bringing the challenge on behalf of the Chagossian claimants were KC Philip Rule and barrister James Tumbridge.
Yet despite what the campaign sees as the obvious moral and constitutional weight of the case, the Court has now refused to let it go forward.
Claire Bullivant, CEO of the Great British PAC, said:
“We are profoundly disappointed by today’s decision. The Chagossian people have spent decades fighting to have their voices heard, yet once again the system appears unwilling to listen.
“This case simply argued that the Chagossians, the people most directly affected, should be consulted about decisions concerning their homeland. That should not be controversial in a democratic society.
“Instead, the Court has effectively shut the door on that principle. It raises serious questions about whether our judiciary is truly in touch with the realities faced by the Chagossian community.”
Questions over the timing of the ruling
The PAC also flagged concerns about when the judgment landed. More than four months separate the October hearing from today's decision, an unusually long wait for a ruling of this kind. It also arrives just days before a second Chagos-related Judicial Review is set to be heard on Friday.
More curious still, Mauritian Attorney General Gavin Glover appeared to know last week that the judgment would be handed down today, ahead of any public notification.
“People will understandably ask questions,” Bullivant said.
“Why did this decision take over four months to appear? Why does it arrive only days before the next Judicial Review is due to be heard? And how did the Mauritian Attorney General seem to know about the timing of the judgment before anyone else?
Transparency matters. At the moment, there are more questions than answers.”
Misley Mandarin, Chagossian First Minister, said:
“For generations, Chagossians have been treated as an afterthought in decisions about our own homeland. Today’s ruling is another painful reminder of how difficult it remains to secure even the most basic recognition of our rights.
“We were not asking for special treatment. We were asking for a voice.
“The Chagossian people will not give up. We have already made clear that we intend to appeal this decision and continue the fight to ensure our community is finally heard.”
Barrister James Tumbridge said:
“As the judge recognised passing decades since the expulsion of the Chagossians from the Islands time has not healed the injustice.
“The judge recognised the strength of the arguments yet will not let us be heard in a full hearing. This is not the justice the Chagossians deserve and we will appeal.”
The fight moves to Friday's hearing
The Great British PAC says focus now shifts to the next Judicial Review, listed for this Friday (13 March 2026), which concerns the right of Chagossians who have already returned to their islands to remain in their homeland.
“This fight is far from over,” Bullivant said.
“We will continue to stand with the Chagossian people and pursue every available avenue to ensure their rights, their voices, and their homeland are not ignored.”