THE High Court has rejected an application by the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) to set aside a default judgment ordering it to pay $18,299,468 to a construction company for breach of contract.

Justice R Rahim, in a ruling on the THA’s application filed on June 11, 2024, found that the assembly failed to demonstrate a realistic prospect of successfully defending the claim.

He also ruled that the THA did not act as soon as reasonably practicable after learning of the judgment, describing its handling of the case as "careless" and "reckless."