After 16 Years, Former PM Dr. Keith Rowley Wins Legal Battle for Land Ownership in Tobago at Privy Council

Scarborough, Tobago – August 6, 2025 – After a 16-year legal battle, former Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley has emerged victorious in a long-standing land ownership dispute involving a portion of the Alma Estate in Tobago. The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, the country’s highest appellate court, on Tuesday delivered a ruling in Rowley’s favour, effectively reinstating an earlier High Court decision that had been overturned by the local Court of Appeal.

The matter dates back to 2009 when Christo and Jocelyn Gift filed legal action against Dr. Rowley and Marcelle Latour, the daughter of the late Frank Latour, original owner of the estate. The dispute centred on the sale of a section of the estate that both parties claimed included land they had been promised under separate arrangements. At the core of the contention was a 1998 agreement between the Gifts and Marcelle Latour. The Gifts believed they had purchased 56.5 acres based on an old survey. Dr. Rowley, however, asserted that his entitlement, which he said was agreed upon as far back as 1975, amounted to 85.6 acres, supported by a more recent survey conducted in 2009. The Gifts had initially sought to enforce their version of the agreement through the courts. However, in 2017, High Court Justice Nadia Kangaloo dismissed their case, finding that the Gifts were aware that the land transaction was subject to resurvey and contingent on the resolution of Dr. Rowley’s claim. This position was overturned in 2023 by the Court of Appeal, which found fault in the High Court’s treatment of historical correspondence between the attorneys of Dr. Rowley and Frank Latour in the early 1980s, suggesting a possible cap of 56.5 acres. The Privy Council’s latest decision not only reverses the Appeal Court’s ruling but also solidifies Dr. Rowley’s longstanding claim, marking a significant legal victory in a case that has spanned over a decade and a half.