Ten years ago, the Chagossians won a tremendous victory in the British High Court, which ruled that the islanders’ expulsion had been unlawful, and that they should be allowed to return. Initially, the government accepted the ruling, but it was overturned by an Order-in-Council (an executive order from the Queen and not a law passed by Parliament) in 2004.
实际上早在十年前，查戈斯人就已经取得了一场重大司法胜利，英国最高法院裁定当年对岛民的驱逐不合法，而且应该允许岛民回归。政府最初接受了这一裁定，但该裁定却于2004年被枢密院令（Order-in-Council，由英女王下达的执行命令，而非议会通过的法律）所推翻。