A legal challenge that could shape the future of land ownership and governance in Barbuda returns to court on Tuesday, with the Barbuda Council seeking to halt the government’s land adjudication process on the island.

The case stems from the government’s move to extend the national land registration system to Barbuda and launch a land adjudication programme aimed at recording and registering land interests.

The Barbuda Council is challenging the process, arguing that it was introduced without the consent or consultation of the Council or Barbudans and threatens the island’s long-standing communal land system.

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.

Among the key issues before the court are the legal status of Barbuda’s communal land rights, whether the government can lawfully implement the adjudication process, and the role of the Barbuda Council in land administration.

Barbuda Council Chairman John Mussington described the proceedings as one of the most important legal matters facing the island.

“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 the hearing.

The dispute follows the government’s declaration of Barbuda as an adjudication section in 2024 and the subsequent invitation for residents to submit claims to land interests as part of the proposed registration system.

The hearing is expected to draw significant attention, with many Barbudans viewing the case as a landmark challenge that could have lasting implications for land ownership, development and local governance on the island.