Barbudans Mount Legal Challenge To Land Act Amendments

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Trevor Walker

The government says it will vigorously challenge a case filed in court last week, challenging amendments to the Barbuda Land Act.

Three Barbudans, Trevor Walker, Wayde Burton and Mackenzie Frank are the men behind the action filed with the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court on the 18th October 2018.

It challenges two pieces of legislation passed by the government of Prime Minister Gaston Browne in 2018, which overturned what they say is the century-old practice of communal land ownership on the sister-isle.

They say the changes negate the independence of the Barbuda Council in the exercise of its duties, powers, and functions as enshrined in the Barbuda Local Government Act of 1976.

The three, along with the Barbuda Council, are seeking to have the court declare that all lands in Barbuda continue to be vested in the governor general on behalf of the people of Barbuda.

Two, that the lands in Barbuda are owned in common by the people of Barbuda and finally that the Crown Lands Regulation Amendment Act 2018 which purports to repeal the Barbuda Land Act 2007, violates sections of the Constitution of Antigua and Barbuda.

The claimants also want the government to recognize and protect the functions, powers and duties of the Barbuda Council as set out in the Barbuda Local Government Act 1976.

They want the Cabinet to refrain from giving directions- general or specific- as to the policy the Council should exercise under the same Act.

The claim filed against the Attorney General points out that the Barbuda Council was given extensive powers to govern Barbuda by the Barbuda Local Government Act Cap 44 in 1976, and derives its power from Section 123 of the Constitution, having its genesis at the Antigua Independence Conference at Lancaster House, England in 1981.

 The Barbudans are represented by John Macdonald QC, Justin Simon QC, and Sylvester Carrott.

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9 COMMENTS

  1. Press on Barbudans fight for your lands, they already selloff the lands on Antigua now their eyes are on Barbuda lands. Land is power fight on. Let us stop the real estate company call the Antigua Labour Party, notice I left off Barbuda.

    • And since we are a unitary state Barbuda Land is Antigua land too. And that case has already been proven by the court. It’s called Crown Land. Which is the same thing as Government Land

  2. What can I say?
    I love the pertinacity of Barbudans.
    They are no easy push over and as a community stand up for what they believe in.
    If we would only emulate them, soooo much nonsense would not be taking place here in Antigua.

  3. A people who do not know and understand their negative history would not know their enemy and what they must do.

    1 Communal living is the foundation for communism minus the political ranker. It expresses humanity where all benefits equally from what ever avails.

    2 It must be encouraged rather than disbanded.

    3 The problem with life today are MONEY, RELIGION, POLITICIANS, FOOD, ENTERTAINMENT, DOCTORS, CLOTHES FABRIC, PHARMACUTICALS, AND TECHNOLOGY.

    Political maneuverings is degrading our beloved country blue thinks they have absolute answers to everything red thinks there answers are better than blue in the mean time with all the loans, grants and other good will, the nation’s soveringty is dwindling and the borders of who and what is Waladli is getting more blured and further away from what our ancestors bled and died for.

    This so called in- dependency (1/11/81) on China reflect not on what you have but what you have become.

    Modern day leaders have failed to inspire the brain washed children of slaves to work hard, take pride in the crumb that came as a result of their dedication, be satisfied, grudge no other people, be innovative, conscious and develop a self worth that is dominant.

  4. We need to stop the fighting and unite. We came on the same boat and not by choice either.

    Our insecurities are being exploited by our oppressors.

    Why our oppressors make it and we don’t? Our oppressors are worn out and is now coming back to inflict dominance once again.

  5. Barbudians can own lands in Antigua but Antiguans shouldn’t be allowed to own lands in Barbuda and that’s FEAR. Smh what a bunch of SELFISH people

  6. Trevor Walker, wade burton and Mackenzie Frank does not have money to pay wages and salaries. That have frozen 10 weeks of monies owed to workers but they have money to pay MCDonald who have made millions of Barbudans back. Council money is to pay lawyer so Trevor and Mackenzie Frank can continue to make money of the backs of Barbudans. Trever is adamant about communal land, what have he contributed to the people he shares the land with. His gas station sits on the very same land. Doesn’t the other owners owed part of his business profits. McKenzie has just built guest cottages. Don’t the the rest of the owners of the land owned part of the profits. If we own the land in communal whatever on the land should be shared. Any business on the land is shared for Barbudans. The only reason Trevor wanted Barbudans back in Barbuda was his gas station was not making any money. Communal land means any thing on the land should be shared communally.

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