Chagossians take compensation fight to Court of Appeal
Wednesday 19 May 2004
A group of Chagossians are to come before the Court of Appeal in June, seeking the go-ahead to appeal last year's ruling, which denied them compensation for their ordeal.
Lawyers representing about 4,600 Chagossians and their descendants will appear before the court on 17 or 18 June, to apply for permission to appeal the High Court ruling of 9 October 2003.
In that ruling, Mr Justice Ouseley rejected the compensation claim on the grounds that it came too late, but said that many of them could show that they had been treated "shamefully".
Critics of that decision have also said that the Chagossians' circumstances should have been taken into account when saying they should have applied earlier - many are illiterate and live in poverty in Mauritius or the Seychelles.
Lawyers for the Chagossians say they have done fresh work identifying the responsibilities of Prime Ministers and Foreign Secretaries between 1965 and 1973. They have also unearthed a speech to the UN from 1965, telling of the acquisition of the islands, but failing to mention the proposed removal of the population, and denying that there were any inhabitants before the British first arrived there in 1814.
Related stories:
22 August 04 - Chagossians warn of hunger strikes if government does not act
28 July 04 - Compensation appeal rejected
17 June 04 - Judges consider appeal application
14 June 04 - Appeal hearing set for Thursday 17 June
10 October 03 - Compensation ruling 'not the end of the road'