Justice Gloria Smith granted a 30-day injunction Tuesday when the parties appeared in chambers at the Supreme Court. The hearing has been set for June 18 and 19 in chambers.

An adjournment was granted in order to allow the lawyers representing the defendants to file written submissions.

The dispute between Hampden Estates and the Government stemmed from steps being taken by the State to sell the assets of several sugar companies, including Hampden Estates. On April 28, Hampden Estates took the issue to the Supreme Court and got a 21-day ex parte injunction barring the sale of its assets.

Hampden Estates is now being run by the Trelawny Sugar Company of Jamaica, which is one of the defendants in the case.

Economic meltdown

Former managing director of Hampden Estates, David Farquharson, and family members had operated the estate until 1999 when it was taken over by the Financial Sector Adjustment Company, the Government's bailout firm birthed during the Jamaican economy's meltdown in the 1990s.

Hampden was subsequently put into receivership, but since 2002 it has been operated by the Trelawny Sugar Company of Jamaica. The estate has several large properties in Trelawny and St James.

The other defendants are the Sugar Company of Jamaica Holdings Ltd, receiver John Lee, Trelawny Sugar Company of Jamaica and the attorney general.