The Chief Justice of Trinidad and Tobago is the highest judge of the Republic of

Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago (, ), officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean. Consisting of the main islands Trinidad and Tobago, and numerous much smaller islands, it is situated south of ...

and presides over its Supreme Court of Judicature. He is appointed by a common decision of the

president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

, the

prime minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

and the leader of the main opposition party.

History

Tobago was claimed for

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

already by

King James I James VI and I (James Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 March 1603 until ...

in 1608, however in the following time saw varying rulers. In 1794, a planter was elected the first chief justice.Laurence (1995), p. 55 The island was eventually ceded to the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

in 1814 at the

Treaty of Paris Treaty of Paris may refer to one of many treaties signed in Paris, France: Treaties 1200s and 1300s * Treaty of Paris (1229), which ended the Albigensian Crusade * Treaty of Paris (1259), between Henry III of England and Louis IX of France * Trea ...

and from 1833 it was assigned to the colony of the

British Windward Islands The British Windward Islands was an administrative grouping of British colonies in the Windward Islands of the West Indies, existing from 1833 until 31 December 1959 and consisting of the islands of Grenada, St Lucia, Saint Vincent, the Grenad ...

. In 1797 Trinidad, who had been previously controlled by the

Spanish Crown , coatofarms = File:Coat_of_Arms_of_Spanish_Monarch.svg , coatofarms_article = Coat of arms of the King of Spain , image = Felipe_VI_in_2020_(cropped).jpg , incumbent = Felipe VI , incumbentsince = 19 Ju ...

, was captured by a fleet commanded by

Sir Ralph Abercromby Lieutenant General Sir Ralph Abercromby (7 October 173428 March 1801) was a British soldier and politician. He rose to the rank of lieutenant-general in the British Army, was appointed Governor of Trinidad, served as Commander-in-Chief, Ire ...

and thus came under British government. The post of a chief justice was established in March of the same year.Millett (1985), p. 47 Both islands, Trinidad and Tobago were incorporated into a single colony in 1888, which gained its independence in 1962.

Chief justices of Tobago

*1794–1799: John Balfour (non-lawyer) *1799–1804: Robert Paterson (non-lawyer) *1805–1828 ?:

Elphinstone Pigott Elphinstone may refer to: Places ;Australia: * Elphinstone, Queensland (Isaac Region) * Elphinstone, Queensland (Toowoomba Region) * Elphinstone, Victoria * County of Elphinstone, Queensland * Lake Elphinstone, Queensland ;Canada: * Elphinstone, ...

*1828–1832 ''No appointment'' *1832–1833:

Richard Newton Bennett Richard Newton Bennett (27 October 1770 - 15 February 1836) was Chief Justice of Tobago from 1832 until 1833. Beamish was born in List of townlands of County Wexford, Blackstoops, County Wexford and educated at Trinity College Dublin. He was ...

*1833–? G. Buchanan - substitute for

Robert Sympson Jameson Robert Sympson Jameson (1796 – August 1, 1854) was a lawyer and politician in Upper Canada, and later in the Province of Canada. He served as the first Speaker of the Legislative Council of the Province of Canada from 1841 to 1843. Early ...

*1840–1841:

Robert Nicholas Fynn The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of ''Hrōþ, Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory ...

*1841–1861:

Edward Dyer Sanderson Edward is an English language, English given name. It is derived from the Old English, Anglo-Saxon name ''Ēadweard'', composed of the elements ''wikt:ead#Old English, ēad'' "wealth, fortune; prosperous" and ''wikt:weard#Old English, weard'' "gua ...

*1862–1867:

Henry Iles Woodcock Henry Iles Woodcock was Chief Justice of Tobago from 1862 until 1867. Iles wrote a history of Tobago, published in 1867. References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Woodcock, Henry Iles Chief Justices of Tobago ...

*1868–1880: Joseph King Wattley, Jnr *1880–1882:

James Sherrard Armstrong James Sherrard Armstrong (27 April 1821 – 23 November 1888) was a Canadians, Canadian lawyer, jurist, and landowner from Quebec. From 1871, he served as the Chief Justice for the colony of Saint Lucia and in 1880, he was additionally appoint ...

*1882–1888:

John Worrell Carrington Sir John Worrell Carrington, (29 May 1847 – 11 February 1913) was a British jurist, elected representative, and colonial administrator between 1872 and 1902. He served the Caribbean colonies of Barbados, St. Lucia, Tobago, Grenada, and ...

Chief Judges of Trinidad

*1797–1808:

John Nihell John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second ...

*1808–1811: George Smith *1814–1818:

John Thomas Bigge John Thomas Bigge (8 March 1780 – 22 December 1843) was an English judge and royal commissioner. He is mostly known for his inquiry into the British colony of New South Wales published in the early 1820s. His reports favoured a return to the ...

Joseph (1970), p. 113 *1818–1830:

Ashton Warner Ashton may refer to: Names *Ashton (given name) *Ashton (surname) Places Australia * Ashton, Elizabeth Bay, a heritage-listed house in Sydney, New South Wales *Ashton, South Australia Canada *Ashton, Ontario New Zealand * Ashton, New Zealand ...

Chief Justices of Trinidad

*1669–?: Juan Fermin de Huidobro *1832–1849:

George Scotland George may refer to: People * George (given name) * George (surname) * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Washington, First President of the United States * George W. Bush, 43rd Presid ...

*1849–1869:

William George Knox William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...

*1870–1885:

Joseph Needham Noel Joseph Terence Montgomery Needham (; 9 December 1900 – 24 March 1995) was a British biochemist, historian of science and sinologist known for his scientific research and writing on the history of Chinese science and technology, in ...

*1886–1888: Sir John Gorrie

Chief Justices of Trinidad and Tobago

*1888–1892: Sir John Gorrie *1892–1899:

John Tankerville Goldney Sir John Tankerville Goldney (15 June 1846 – 11 April 1920) was a British barrister who rose to be Chief Justice of Trinidad and Tobago, and was also High Sheriff of Wiltshire in 1910. He is also notable for introducing golf to Singapore in 18 ...

*1900–1903: Sir William John Anderson *1903–1907:

Ernest Augustus Northcote Ernest is a given name derived from Germanic word ''ernst'', meaning "serious". Notable people and fictional characters with the name include: People *Archduke Ernest of Austria (1553–1595), son of Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor * Ernest, ...

*1908–1924: Alfred van Waterschoodt Lucie-Smith *1924–1926: Sir Stanley Fisher (afterwards

Chief Justice of Ceylon The Chief Justice of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is the head of the judiciary of Sri Lanka and the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka. Established in 1801, the Chief Justice is one of ten Supreme Court justices; the other nine are ...

, 1926) *1927–1930: Sir Philip James Macdonell (afterwards

, 1930) *1930–1937:

Charles Frederic Belcher Sir Charles Frederic Belcher OBE (11 July 1876 – 7 February 1970) was an Australian lawyer, author, British colonial jurist, and amateur ornithologist. Biography Born in Geelong, Victoria, C. F. Belcher was a son of G. F. Belcher, a former m ...

*1937–1943:

Charles Cyril Gerahty Sir Charles Cyril Gerahty (17 June 1888 – 6 June 1978) was a British colonial judge who became Chief Justice of Trinidad and Tobago. He was born near Epping, Essex, the second son of civil servant Charles Echlin Gerahty, of a family from Dungan ...

*1943–1946:

Henry William Butler Blackall Sir Henry William Butler Blackall QC (19 June 1889 – 1 November 1981) was an Irish lawyer and judge. He served as Attorney General of two British colonies in the mid 20th Century and served as Chief Justice of Trinidad and Tobago and Chief ...

*1946–1952:

Cecil Furness-Smith Cecil may refer to: People with the name * Cecil (given name), a given name (including a list of people and fictional characters with the name) * Cecil (surname), a surname (including a list of people with the name) Places Canada *Cecil, Alberta, ...

*1952–1958: Joseph Leon Mathieu Perez *1958–1960: Stanley Eugene Gomes (afterwards Chief Justice of the

West Indies Federation The West Indies Federation, also known as the West Indies, the Federation of the West Indies or the West Indian Federation, was a short-lived political union that existed from 3 January 1958 to 31 May 1962. Various islands in the Caribbean that ...

, 1961) *1961–1962: Arthur Hugh McShine (acting) Comma (1973), p. 193 *1962 - Trinidad and Tobago became the independent *1962–1968: Sir

Hugh Olliviere Beresford Wooding Sir Hugh Olliviere Beresford Wooding (14 January 1904 – 26 July 1974) was a lawyer and politician from Trinidad and Tobago. Legal career Hugh Wooding was born in Trinidad and Tobago into a family that hailed from Barbados. In 1914, he was a ...

*1969–1970: Arthur Hugh McShine *1970–1971: Clement Phillips (acting) *1972–1983: Sir

Isaac Hyatali Sir Isaac Emanuel Hyatali was the Chief Justice of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago from 1972 until 1983. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1973. He died of diverticular disease on 2 December 2000. Education After attending Naparima ...

*1976 - Trinidad and Tobago is declared as the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago *1983–1985:

Cecil Kelsick Cecil Arthur Kelsick Trinity Cross, TC (15 July 1920 – 27 September 2017) was a Trinidadian judge who was the Chief Justice of Trinidad and Tobago from 1983 to 1985. Kelsick was educated at Montserrat Grammar School and King's College London ...

*1985–1995:

Clinton Bernard Clinton Bernard (1929/1930 – 26 October 2019) was a Chief Justice of Trinidad and Tobago The Chief Justice of Trinidad and Tobago is the highest judge of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and presides over its Supreme Court of Judicature. He is ...

*1995–2002:

Michael de la Bastide Michael de la Bastide, King's Counsel, KC (born 18 July 1937 in Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago) is a Trinidad and Tobago lawyer. He was the Chief Justice of Trinidad and Tobago from 1995 until 2002. Education He attended Saint Mary's College ...

*2002–2008:

Satnarine Sharma Satnarine Sharma (1942/1943 – October 9, 2019) was the Chief Justice of Trinidad and Tobago from 2002 until 2008. He was succeeded by Ivor Archie. Controversy In July 2006, Sharma was arrested and accused of trying to help Basdeo Panday, a for ...

*2008–present:

Ivor Archie Ivor Archie (born August 18, 1960) is a Trinidadian jurist who has served as chief justice of Trinidad and Tobago since 2008. He was formerly solicitor general of the Cayman Islands. Personal life He was born on August 18, 1960 in Tobago. He a ...

Notes

References

External links

* {{British dependencies chief justices, state=collapsed Judiciary of Trinidad and Tobago

Trinidad Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands of Trinidad and Tobago. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is often referred to as the southernmos ...

Trinidad and Tobago and the Commonwealth of Nations