The UK Government’s decision to cede sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius is now under fresh scrutiny as campaigners launch a judicial review in the High Court. The case, expected to be heard next month, challenges the legality of the agreement brokered by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, arguing that the Chagossian people were not consulted. The judicial review, backed by the Great British PAC, is being led by barristers James Tumbridge and Philip Rule KC, and has drawn support from the Conservative Party.
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At the centre of the challenge is the claim that the Government failed to uphold legal duties under both domestic and international law, including the Equality Act and the European Convention on Human Rights. The claimants argue that any agreement excluding the Chagossian community—whose ancestral land is at stake—is not only unjust but also unlawful. Misley Mandarin, an Army veteran, and his father Michel Mandarin, a British citizen of Chagossian descent, are leading the legal action. Michel stated, “We are not Mauritian, we are Chagossian. The Government cannot lawfully decide our fate without us.”
The deal, announced in May, has sparked widespread controversy. Notably, it reportedly requires the UK to notify Mauritius of any future military operations launched from the UK-US base at Diego Garcia—prompting concerns over national security. Critics, including Dame Priti Patel, have labelled it the “Chagos surrender treaty”, accusing the Labour Government of abandoning British interests and imposing a potential £30 billion burden on taxpayers. Starmer, however, has defended the deal as cost-effective and necessary to avoid a legal defeat in international courts.
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Ownership of the Chagos Islands—officially known as the British Indian Ocean Territory—has long been contested, with multiple rulings, including one by the United Nations, declaring continued British sovereignty to be unlawful. While Foreign Secretary David Lammy has promoted the agreement as evidence of Britain’s commitment to international law, the decision has provoked moral and legal objections. Claire Bullivant, CEO of the Great British PAC, said: “To exclude [the Chagossians] yet again is to rewrite history with the same pen of injustice.” The Foreign Office has been contacted for comment.
