Member

To me, Amendment 18 goes to the heart of constitutional responsibility, parliamentary integrity and respect for the rule of law. Most importantly, it seeks to give respect to a people who have had precious little from any Government over the years. At its heart, this amendment wants to do no more than give our court an opportunity to tell us if the Chagossians have rights we should be considering before we conclude the Bill’s passage. This amendment does not seek to determine the outcome of any court case, and it does not trespass on the independence of the judiciary. It does something far more modest and important. It ensures that Parliament does not irrevocably legislate away rights, territory and legal status while a live judicial review directly concerning the lawfulness of the Government’s actions remains unresolved.