Privy Council dismisses Challenge to National Highway Project in Trinidad

This case was an appeal against a refusal of permission to apply for judicial review of a decision of Trinidad's Environmental Management Agency to grant consent for the first phase of a 32.5 km highway scheme passing close to the Aripo Savannas Strict Nature Reserve, which had been designated in 2007 as an Environmentally Sensitive Area and constitutes a unique ecosystem of national and international importance, due to its array of habitats and high density of rare, threatened and endemic species.

The appeal was pursued on the grounds that the lower courts had erred in not extending time for the filing of the claim and in finding no errors of law in relation to pre-EIA consultation, the cumulative impact assessment of the proposed highway the rationality of the grant of the consent.

The judgment of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council was handed down yesterday.

Richard Wald acted as junior council and appeared before the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council  at the end of July.

See here for the full judgment.