Nassau-Two gaming houses are challenging Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis’ legal authority to issue coronavirus-related shutdown orders that have affected their operations.
The Island Game and Paradise Games filed a lawsuit on May 27 over the prime minister’s authority to issue the orders that have been in place since March.
Under the orders, The Island Game and Paradise Games cannot operate during the state of the emergency.
The firm of Munroe and Associates represent the gaming houses in the suit. The firm’s principal Wayne Munroe QC has been openly critical of the shutdown.
The gaming houses want the Supreme Court to find that Minnis and the attorney general did not have the right to make the orders under the Emergency Powers Act.
As a result, they want the court to declare the emergency power regulations and all orders made under it void.
Even if the emergency powers regulations and the orders are valid, the lawsuit alleges they are not reasonably justifiable under the constitution.
The applicants have asked the court to award damages for breaches of their constitutional right to move and assemble freely.
Minnis has said the emergency powers are made in the interest of public health.
And, the applicants want the court to force the prime minister to testify about the medical basis for the orders.
The prime minister has extended the emergency powers until June 29.
