A legal battle with far-reaching implications for land ownership and governance in Barbuda returns to court Tuesday, as the Barbuda Council seeks to halt the central government's land adjudication programme on the island. According to Antigua News Room, the case centres on the government's move to extend the national land registration system to Barbuda and launch a programme aimed at recording and registering land interests there.
The Barbuda Council is challenging the process on the grounds that it was introduced without the consent or consultation of either the Council or Barbudans generally. At the heart of the dispute is the island's long-standing communal land system, which opponents of the adjudication programme argue is under direct threat.
The matter pits the Barbuda Council, represented by attorney Leslie Thomas KC, against the Attorney General's Chambers, represented by Deputy Solicitor General Carla Brookes-Harris. Key issues before the court include the legal status of Barbuda's communal land rights, whether the government can lawfully implement the adjudication process, and the precise role of the Barbuda Council in land administration.
Barbuda Council Chairman John Mussington described the proceedings as one of the most consequential legal matters the island has faced. "The outcome will help determine whether the principles that have governed land in Barbuda for generations continue to have meaning in law and in practice," Mussington said ahead of Tuesday's hearing.
The dispute follows the government's declaration of Barbuda as an adjudication section in 2024 and its subsequent invitation for residents to submit claims to land interests under the proposed registration system.
Many Barbudans view the case as a landmark challenge, with the outcome expected to have lasting consequences for land ownership, development, and local governance across the island.
