The chairwoman of the Progressive Labour Party said the party was not surprised by a recent court ruling on retroactive membership changes, and would abide by court orders.

Dawn Simmons said in a statement that next steps, such as the timeline for the annual delegates conference and election of officers, will be made by the central committee and will be communicated with branches and members.

Ms Simmons said the party will serve a list of members to the court by November 13, and was examining the full judgment with counsel.

The comments came after the Supreme Court largely ruled against the party in a legal dispute with Curtis Dickinson, a former finance minister, who is challenging Jason Hayward, the Minister of Economy and Labour, for leadership of the governing party.

Mr Dickinson and others filed legal action to seek “urgent relief” to block progress on a membership process that he alleged was contrary to the party’s constitution.

Amendments had proposed preventing those who have actively campaigned against the party in the last two general elections from automatically being approved as members, and allowing only those who have been a member for at least a year to be eligible to serve as delegates at the upcoming conference and election.

Mrs Justice Subair Williams concluded in her ruling that the proposed amendments were invalid and, according to the PLP constitution, unlawful, as they would need to be approved by delegates at an annual general or special delegates’ conference.

Ms Simmons said that on September 28 the party chose not to contest the central question in the case, accepting that changes to membership rules can only be made by delegates through the amendment process in the constitution.

She said: “The party took that position because it believes decisions about who the party is and how it is governed belong to the party and its delegates.

“The court has confirmed that this is the correct route, and has stated that nothing in its judgment prevents the party from adopting new membership rules for applications received after August 31, 2026.

“The court also confirmed that the party is entitled to verify membership applications, that the party’s membership process, approved by central committee on July 13, 2026, is lawful, and that no member was removed from the party’s records at any time.

“The court set out the grounds on which an application received by August 31, 2026, may be withheld: where the party cannot confirm that the person named on the form submitted it, or cannot confirm that the person is at least 18 years of age.

“Outstanding applications will be processed on that basis.”

Ms Simmons added that any members with questions about their membership status should contact party headquarters.

In a statement posted on social media this week, Mr Dickinson thanked supporters who had provided “unwavering encouragement”.

He added: “The Supreme Court judgment is about protecting the sanctity of our party’s constitution, upholding the rights of every member and ensuring that the voice of our membership is heard.”

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