High Court backs preservation of HDC’s land rights in Hulhumale’ pending outcome

The High Court has decided in favor of upholding the injunction granted by the Civil Court suspending the execution of the Male’ City Council’s decision to terminate the land registry for Hulhumale’ granted to Housing Development Corporation (HDC). 

The injunction was granted by Civil Court in December 2021 in response to a lawsuit filed by HDC against the Male’ City Council. 

Male’ City Council had appealed the decision with the High Court. 

The High Court decided on Tuesday that HDC had the right to ask for a temporary injunction in response to the termination of the land registry for a land registered to the corporation. 

The court said it found the damage to HDC from denying an injunction outweighed the damage to the council from issuing the injunction. 

The High Court bench therefore unanimously ruled there was no room to make any changes to the injunction issued by the Civil Court. 

The Civil Court has ordered for all relevant institutions to refrain from making any move to execute the council’s decision, and from interfering in all work HDC is involved in in connection to the legal rights HDC has as the legal owner of the land in Hulhumale’, and the work undertaken by HDC to develop and manage Hulhumale’. 

The court also ordered the police and other relevant state institutions to stop any such attempts. 

Local Government Authority (LGA), too, has stated that the Male’ City Council does not have the authority to terminate the land registry.