Court stops Union Hall squatters from rebuilding

THE NATIONAL Housing Authority (NHA) was yesterday granted an order by a High Court judge. It prevents any further construction of houses by squatters at Union Hall, Cross Crossing, San Fernando. The order is a variation of one granted on Tuesday by Justice Peter Jamadar, prohibiting the NHA from carrying out further demolition on the lands. Senior Counsel Russel Martineau and attorney Deborah Peake, both representing NHA’s interests, submitted in a hearing in the San Fernando First Civil Court that the order was too wide, in that it permitted the applicants to build houses on the lands.  Justice Jamadar then varied the order restraining the applicants from taking steps for further construction of any building on the lands at Union Hall in Cross Crossing.

The amended injunction now contains the following paragraph: “And upon the Applicants also undertaking to take no steps to do any further building, or construction on the said lands shown on the sketch plan annexed to the Order and described in the Applicants’ joint affidavit filed on April 26, 2004.” It means that the injunction, as it now stands, restrains both the NHA and the squatters from taking any further action. The 19 whose homes were knocked down by the NHA have been granted leave to seek judicial review of a decision by the NHA to remove them from the lands. 

The squatters are being represented by Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj, SC and Sunil Gopaul-Gosine, instructed by Garnet Mungalsingh. Hearing was adjourned to May 21. It is understood that the NHA will be monitoring the lands closely to ensure that the squatters do not breach the Court Order. Despite a promise by Prime Minister Patrick Manning that the Union Hall squatters are to be relocated, NHA chairman, Noel Garcia, said the NHA has no mandate to relocate the squatters. He said, however, if the NHA is asked to assist in relocating the squatters, it would try to assist.