00:00Business couple Dominic and Genevieve Hadid are set to return to the Court of Appeal on Thursday
00:05in the latest legal battle surrounding their detention under the state of emergency.
00:11The appeal court will hear procedural appeal filed by the Hadid's attorneys challenging
00:16a decision by High Court Judge Justice Vigel Paul not to fast-track their judicial review
00:22and constitutional claim against the preventive detention orders or PDOs issued against them.
00:30The couple's attorneys argue the matter should be treated as urgent,
00:33particularly because of concerns over Dominic Hadid's health while in custody.
00:38The dispute stems from proceedings earlier this month before Justice Paul,
00:44during which the court dealt with several procedural issues,
00:48including objections by the state to aspects of medical evidence filed on Dominic Hadid's behalf.
00:54The judge allowed the Hadid to apply to have one of their medical witnesses
00:59recognized as an expert and directed the state to file its own procedural application before the
01:05matter resumed. When the case returned to court last Friday, Justice Paul scheduled further directions
01:11for mid-September instead of assigning an earlier hearing date. That decision is now being challenged
01:17before the Court of Appeal. The hearing comes amid a series of ongoing legal challenges over the
01:23couple's detention. Last Thursday, a panel of the Court of Appeal ordered that Dominic and Genevieve
01:29Hadid be released from prison and placed under house arrest under strict conditions while their legal
01:36challenge proceeds. However, that order was subsequently stayed by a different constituted panel
01:43of the Court of Appeal, meaning the couple remains in custody pending the outcome of an appeal before the
01:49Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. No date has been announced for the Privy Council's hearing,
01:54but the matter is expected to be heard on an expedited basis because of its urgency.
01:59The Hadids have been detained since June 24, after being held under emergency powers during the current state of emergency.
02:07They were later served with preventive detention orders signed by Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander.
02:13The state alleges intelligence links the couple to a conspiracy to assassinate Prime Minister Kamala Pissot-Bissassar,
02:21Attorney General John Jeremy and other senior government officials. The Hadids deny the allegations
02:27and have not been charged with any criminal offense. Thursday's hearing will focus solely on whether
02:33their constitutional challenge should be heard on an expedited timetable rather than the merits of the
02:39detention itself. You can read more on this story in tomorrow's Express from Rikki Ramdas.
02:45Urvishitamari Rubnarain, TV6 News.
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