CHAPTER I - INTRODUCTION

A. THE PARTIES

1. The Applicant is the Republic of Mauritius (“Mauritius”). Mauritius became an independent State on 12 March 1968, prior to which it was a colony of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the “United Kingdom”). Mauritius was previously a French colony from 1715 until 1814, at which time France ceded it to the United Kingdom.

2. The Respondent is the United Kingdom, which exercised colonial rule over Mauritius until its independence. The United Kingdom continues to administer the Chagos Archipelago, previously a dependency of the colony of Mauritius, as the British Indian Ocean Territory (“BIOT”). The BIOT was established on 8 November 1965.

3. Mauritius is represented in these proceedings by its Agent, Mr Dheerendra Kumar Dabee GOSK, SC, Solicitor-General of the Republic of Mauritius and its Deputy Agent, Ms Aruna Devi Narain.

4. The United Kingdom is represented in these proceedings by its Agent, Ms Alice Lacourt, Legal Counsellor at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (the “FCO”), who replaced Mr Christopher A. Whomersley CMG, Deputy Legal Adviser, as Agent on 5 June 2014. The United Kingdom is further represented by its Deputy Agent, Ms Nicola Smith, who replaced Ms Margaret Purdasy in this position on 21 January 2015.