NASSAU| The Supreme Court has extended its injunction to the entirety of Abaco, preventing the government from continuing its demolition of shantytown communities on the island.
Supreme Court Justice Cheryl Grant-Thompson handed down her ruling this morning. She said the court is of the view that the injunction should not be varied to exclude the Abaco applicants and it is “incumbent that the court does whatever it can in its power to preserve the status quo”.
She said while it was mindful of the duty of the government to moving and “even in some instances, destroying buildings” the injunction should prevail if only one home and one resident’s rights are protected. The applicants requested for the injunction to cover all shantytown communities in The Bahamas.
But the judge denied this request. She said: “I am of the view that the judicial review application before the court ultimately affects every shantytown in Abaco and as such should be extended to cover all of them.”
She made clear that the government has the right to clear and demolish homes, but it should bring evidence of a breach of the law to the court prior to the action. The original injunction was granted in August 2018. The government has indicated its intention to appeal the ruling.
