Beaches of St. Maarten belong to the people

The beaches on St. Maarten belong to the people of St. Maarten.

On 7 July 2026, the Court of First Instance of Sint Maarten delivered a landmark judgment confirming that Mullet Bay Beach has always remained public and belongs to the people of Sint Maarten.

DEJONG is happy with the result and proud to have represented the Country Sint Maarten in this case, which turned out to be one of the more significant property law cases in recent years concerning the ownership of Mullet Bay Beach.

The Court ruled that the beach itself could never have become private property through the historical transfers dating back to 1852, safeguarding one of the island's most treasured public spaces for present and future generations. This case required an extensive analysis of historical deeds, nineteenth-century property law, the Civil Code, parliamentary history and decades of legal precedent. It is a judgment that will undoubtedly become an important reference within the legal development of Sint Maarten.

While the Court also addressed separate issues concerning privately-owned land located behind the beach, the principal legal question, the ownership of the beach itself, was decided in favor of St. Maarten.

The Court confirmed what has always been a fundamental principle: the beaches remain public.

We are so very honored that the Government of Sint Maarten entrusted DEJONG with this important matter. Cases such as these go beyond individual parties; they help define the legal framework that protects the public interest for generations to come.

Our sincere thanks go to the Ministry of VROMI, the civil servants involved, and everyone who contributed to this complex and historic litigation. DEJONG remains committed to providing strategic, solution-oriented legal representation throughout the Caribbean part of our Kingdom.

#PublicBeaches / #DEJONG / #SintMaarten / #MulletBay / #PublicInterest / #PropertyLaw / #CaribbeanLaw / #Litigation / #RuleOfLaw / #VROMI 

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