Primrose Gabourel and Her Son Back in Court with the D.O.E.

The land dispute between the Department of the Environment and seventy-six-year-old Primrose Gabourel and her son, Dion Zabaneh, has been languishing before the courts. It involves a property on Seashore Drive on which the Government has halted work.  This morning, attorney Emil Arguelles, on behalf of Gabourel and Zabaneh, asked the lower court to stop the matter on the grounds that it is outside its jurisdiction.  The Department of the Environment argued to the contrary, stating that the matter can be heard by the Magistrates’ Court, as allowed by the Environment Protection Act.  Arguelles also submitted that the Summary Jurisdiction Act provides that any matter having to do with real property or interest in real property or interests accruing from these, should be heard at the Supreme Court level to which the department countered that the case before the court was about environmental issues.  Senior Magistrate Aretha Ford has deferred her ruling to September third, 2019.  The Senior Magistrate explained to both sides that on that date, she will also proceed to trial if the matter can be heard at the lower court. D.O.E. has indicated that they will be calling six witnesses, one who is also a witness for the other side.