The High Court has ruled the Chagos deal can go ahead after an emergency injunction was put into place.
The deal, which would see Britain give up sovereignty of the island territory to Mauritius and lease back a crucial military base there, was due to be signed this morning but was temporarily blocked by a High Court judge hours before.
Now, Justice Chamberlain said the injunction should be discharged, after Bertrice Pompe, one of two British women born on the Chagos Islands was granted an injunction at 2.25am against the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) for "interim relief."
He said: "I have concluded that the stay granted by Mr Justice Goose should be discharged and there should be no further interim relief."
Chagossians protesting outside the High Court
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Supporters outside the High Court in central London
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Bertice Pompe (left) and Bernadette Dugasse outside the High Court in central London
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During the hearing, Philip Rule KC, for Pompe, had asked for the block on concluding the deal to continue to prevent “significant prejudice to the claimant”.
Rule, appearing by video link from New York, later said it was “fanciful” to say that the deal would not be able to go ahead on a date other than Thursday.
He said: "The objectives of both sides will not have changed… They are not going to abandon that claim in the next two or three weeks."
Mr Justice Chamberlain, summarising a document given to the court by the Government, said: “The agreement can be concluded today and it does not necessarily have to be at 9am."
He then asked Sir James Eadie KC, for the FCDO, whether “the agreement can still be concluded if it is concluded today." Eadie confirmed that was the case.
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Supporters outside the High Court in central London, during a hearing over a last-minute block on the Government from concluding its deal on the Chagos Islands
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A Government spokesman welcomed the ruling paving the way for the deal to be signed, saying the agreement is "vital to protect the British people and our national security."
Shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel wrote on social media: "The High Court decision this afternoon will be very disappointing for Chagossians.
"They deserve great credit for the dignified way they have fought and campaigned for their rights.
"But this process has once again highlighted the shameful actions of Labour ministers.
"They have ignored them and are disgracefully forcing force through the surrender of the sovereignty of the Chagos Islands and handing over billions of pounds of taxpayers’ money to Mauritius.
"Instead of coming to the House of Commons to explain themselves, both Keir Starmer and David Lammy are in hiding.
"Let’s be in no doubt, the Chagossians have been betrayed by Labour and their cowardly actions. Labour have broken promises made to protect their rights."
Misley Mandarin, a campaigner, told Sky News: "We've been fighting more than 50 years. Like I said earlier, no retreat, no surrender.
"We will fight to the end. Keir Starmer has got a fight - the Chagossians are very aware of it. And we will never, never let an island - a British island - go to Mauritius."
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said: "They cannot negotiate. Whenever they negotiate, Britain loses...We should not be paying to surrender British territory to Mauritius."
