CCJ upholds 1990 Essequibo Coast land sale, overturns COA possession order

The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) has ruled in favour of Janet Hassan in a long-running land dispute on the Essequibo Coast, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), overturning a Court of Appeal decision which had ordered her to surrender possession of the property.

In a unanimous judgement delivered on November 3, 2026, the regional court held that a handwritten receipt issued in 1990 constituted evidence of an agreement for the sale of the land, rather than merely granting permission to occupy it.

The ruling also set aside a separate $300,000 costs order imposed on Hassan by the Court of Appeal and directed that the money be repaid by Romanie Gouveia, the respondent in the case, by December 3, 2026.