The Supreme Court has confirmed that “serious legal questions” remain to be settled over the Progressive Labour Party’s 2026 membership and delegate process as the ruling party conference approaches for the selection of its new leader.

The team for Curtis Dickinson, a former minister of finance, challenging economy and labour minister Jason Hayward in the PLP elections next month, issued a statement after a civil court hearing about the matter on Thursday.

The group said written reasoning had been given by the Supreme Court in respect of an interim injunction granted in its favour the previous Friday.

The statement added: “Respectfully, this is not the final determination of the case. The substantive issues remain before the court.”

A special delegates meeting of the PLP had been planned for Monday to discuss the matter.

As one of the plaintiffs represented by Delroy Duncan KC, Mr Dickinson has questioned the fairness of an August 24 motion passed at a party central committee meeting which would not give automatic PLP membership to people who had campaigned against the party in the past two general elections.

Another motion proposed that members for less than a year would be ineligible to be party delegates in the leadership contest.

The statement from Mr Dickinson’s team said that the court had confirmed this week that the motions “remain restrained and cannot presently be implemented, including the proposed restriction affecting the ability of newer members to be selected as delegates”.

It cited “questions” highlighted by the court over “the ability of the central committee to change our constitution, retrospective changes to the membership process and procedural fairness”.

It added: “Party officials are also required to provide certain records and information relating to the membership and delegate process so that a fair hearing can be held.”

David Burt, the Premier, defended the motions to The Royal Gazette on Thursday as “reasonable”, pointing out that the PLP required that members support the party’s interests.

At that time, Mr Burt, who is stepping down as leader next month, was unable to say for certain if the delegates meeting planned for Monday would proceed.

“The party hasn’t met to discuss those things, so I can’t give the definitive answer,” he added.

The Dickinson statement insisted that legal proceedings should not be viewed as a slight on the individual party officers named as defendants. It said they were before the court only because their official rules required it.

It added that party members should select its next leader in “a process that is fair to all”.