Visit UKSCJCPC/2023/0016
Ravi Balgobin Maharaj (Appellant) v The Cabinet of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and another (Respondent) (Trinidad and Tobago)
Case summary
Case ID
JCPC/2023/0016
Jurisdiction
Trinidad and Tobago
Parties
Appellant(s)
Ravi Balgobin Maharaj
Respondent(s)
The Cabinet of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago
The Minister for Rural Development and Local Government
Issue
Were the Court of Appeal wrong to decide that a law which fixed the term of those elected to local government applied to individuals who had been elected to local government before the creation of the law?
Facts
On 2 December 2019, local government elections were held in Trinidad and Tobago. The law at that time stated that office would be held for three years. On 1 July 2022, a law was passed which extended the term to four years. On 3 November 2022, the Minister for Rural Development and Local Government confirmed that the effect of this was to extend the terms of those elected on 2 December 2019 by a year, and that the local government elections would be postponed by one year.The Appellant applied for permission to judicially review this decision and for a temporary order preventing the people elected on 2 December 2019 from acting in local government beyond 3 December 2022. The application for this order was dismissed and the appellant appealed to the Court of Appeal.The Court of Appeal dealt with both the request for the order and the substantive issues. The Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal. The appellant appeals to the JCPC.
Date of issue
13 February 2023
Judgment details
Judgment date
18 May 2023
Neutral citation
[2023] UKPC 17
Judgment links
Judgment summary
18 May 2023
Appeal
Justices
Hearing dates
Start date
15 March 2023
End date
15 March 2023
Watch hearings
15 March 2023 - Morning session
15 March 2023 - Afternoon session
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Last updated 9 May 2024