Former P.M. Further Explains Compulsory Acquisition

On Tuesday, we spoke with former Prime Minister Dean Barrow, who provided legal insight on how the government could have gone about obtaining the property in question through compulsory acquisition.  Part of that process includes the establishment of a compensation tribunal to be led by a judge of the High Court.  Here’s how Senior Counsel Barrow explains the composition of that tribunal.

 

Dean Barrow, Former Prime Minister

“The landowner deprived now of his private property will seek compensation and a tribunal must be set up which will consider the issue of compensation, will hear from the landowner, will hear from the government.  Each side will no doubt produce some sort of a valuation from a professional.  The tribunal will weigh the facts carefully and will ultimately decide on what is the view of the tribunal, the proper quantum of compensation to be awarded to the landowner.  Under the tribunal, the chairmanship or the chair of the tribunal is to be a judicial officer, somebody from the High Court, government will nominate, appoint a second member and the landowner will nominate the third member.  So there should be three so that you can’t have any sort of a tie.  At the end of the process there clearly will be a majority decision and the landowner will need to abide by that decision.  The government will need to abide by that decision, except of course, either one decides to appeal the decision of the compensation tribunal.”