Regina (Bancoult) v. Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (No 2)

Abstract

Territory — Colonies — Ceded colony — British Indian Ocean Territory (“BIOT”) — Governance — Removal of islanders from territory by Immigration Ordinance 1971 under BIOT Order 1965 — Bancoult (No 1) judgment — Press statement — Immigration Ordinance 2000 allowing islanders to return to outer islands — Section 9 of BIOT Constitution Order 2004 restoring full immigration control — BIOT Immigration Order 2004 — Validity of Orders — Whether limitations on Her Majesty in Council’s power to legislate for colony — Whether Crown having power to remove right of abode — Whether powers of Crown limited to legislation for “peace, order and good government of the territory” — Interests of United Kingdom — Relevance — Applicability of ordinary powers of judicial review — Whether decision to re-impose immigration control on islanders unreasonable or abuse of power — Whether islanders having legitimate expectation that right of abode continue — Self-determination — United Nations Charter, Article 73

Human rights — Right of abode — Nature of right — Whether fundamental — Whether Crown having power to remove islanders’ right of abode in BIOT territory

Relationship of international law and municipal law — European Convention on Human Rights, 1950 — Human Rights Act 1998 — Whether having application to BIOT — Whether Crown’s actions in BIOT infringing Human Rights Act 1998 — Relevance of international law — United Nations Charter, Article 73 — The law of England