British Indian Ocean Territory: Sovereignty
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Minister for Development's oral contribution of 25 February 2025, Official Report, column 873, which international courts and tribunals could issue a legally binding judgment on UK sovereignty over the British Indian Ocean Territory.
Answered by Stephen Doughty
There are numerous avenues through which Mauritius could pursue a legally binding judgment, including relevant provisions of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea or under dispute provisions of treaties to which both states are parties. Such cases could be brought rapidly and include seeking provisional measures, themselves legally binding, which could be introduced within weeks. This would have had serious implications for base operations. The status quo was not sustainable and ignoring these issues was not a responsible approach for a government serious about protecting the UK's national security.
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