| Court Rules That Compulsory Acquisition Was Illegal |
| Mon, April 28, 2025 |
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| A Supreme Court ruling has declared the government's acquisition of a prime parcel of land in San Pedro unlawful. The court found that the Ministry of Natural Resources breached the Land Acquisition Public Purposes Act by failing to consult and properly notify Reef Village Development II Limited, the rightful owner, before compulsorily acquiring Parcel 5203, Block 7. The judge ruled that the failure to consult invalidated the acquisition entirely.
The court also dismissed the argument that a letter sent by the Mayor of San Pedro satisfied the government's legal obligation to initiate negotiations. It was not proven that the Minister of Natural Resources had delegated his authority to the mayor, and without such evidence, the court ruled that the required statutory negotiations never occurred.
As a result, the Registrar of Lands has been ordered to restore Reef Village Development II Limited as the registered owner of the parcel.
Reef Village was re3presented by Dena Barrow and his junior Adler Waight.
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