Walter Sidney Chaney (1903-1984) arrived in the Bahamas in January 1946 to take up the position of Assistant Attorney General and was admitted as a member of the Bahamas Bar. He subsequently served as Magistrate and Coroner for the Island of New Providence and acting Registrar General for the Bahamas. He resigned from his government post in mid 1947, intending to set up a private legal practice, but was told that he was not permitted to practise privately and was asked to leave the Bahamas or be deported as undesirable under the Immigrants Act.

Chaney challenged the validity of the deportation order and won his case against the Government of the Bahamas in the Court of Appeal in London in July 1949.