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The Trinidad and Tobago Judiciary
– 'then and now' Project.
List of Chief Justices - Trinidad and Tobago
Brief timeline of legal points of interest
- 1498 - Trinidad claimed for Spain by Christopher Columbus
- 1532 - Trinidad became a colony of Spain
- 1783 - "Libro Becerro de Poblacion"/The Royal Cedula of Population -influx of French Catholic planters from neighbouring islands.
- 1797 - The British, led by Sir Ralph Abercromby, who were at war with Spain and France , captured Trinidad in February, 1797. Sir Thomas Picton becomes the first Governor
- 1802 - Treaty of Amiens, by which Spain officially ceded the island of Trinidad.
- 1807 - Abolition of Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade.
- 1814 - Tobago permanently acquired by the British in 1814 -by Treaty of Paris.
- 1822 - Order in Council of 16 th September, 1822, establishing the Court of first instance of Civil Jurisdiction and the Rules for the court of first instance of Civil Jurisdiction of 28th February, 1823 [Trinidad. Laws of Trinidad , 1831-1848; the Orders in Council and Ordinances of the Council of Government. Compiled by the Commissioners appointed in the Colony. London : James Bain.]
- 1831 - Order in Council of 20th June, 1831 -provides "that the first or presiding judge of the said court shall be called and bear the style and title of Chief Justice of Trinidad"
[Laws of Trinidad , 1831-1848, supra]
- 1843 - Order in Council authorizing the Governor and Council to legislate respecting the Administration of Justice and to repeal anterior Orders in Council – 10 November, 1843
- 1844 - Trial by jury introduced. Ordinance No. 11 of 1844 -An Ordinance to introduce Trial by Jury, and to make other provisions for assimilating the Laws of this Colony relating to Criminal Offences to the Law of England in like cases [came into operation from 10th October, 1844] [Section 18]
- 1848 - Ordinance No. 4 of 1848 -An ordinance to provide for the better administration of Justice in civil cases, and to extend and define the jurisdiction and powers of the Supreme Civil Court [passed 1 st March, 1848]
- 1848 - Ordinance No. 9 of 1848 -an ordinance to regulate the mode of proceedings in Criminal cases
- 1879 - Ordinance No. 28 of 1879 – an ordinance for the constitution of one Supreme Court and for other purposes relating to the better Administration of Justice. Short title : The Judicature Ordinance, 1879.
- 1892 - Judicial Inquiry Commission. A commission issued under the Trinidad and Tobago Ordinance No. 2 of 1892. Enquiry into charges against the senior puisne judge and the Administration of Justice in the colony
- 1914 - Judicature [Amendment] Ordinance, 1914 [No. 23 of 1914] -s.2 - common law doctrines of equity, statute law deemed to be laws of Trinidad since 1st March, 1848 provision re-enacted in the Supreme Court of Judicature Act, 1962 , now Chap.4:01, s.12]
- 1956 - Internal self-government
- 1956 - Report on the system of administration of justice in the Colony – Chairman of the Commission – Sir Albert Napier. A minority report was also presented by M.T.I. Julien, who was a member of the Committee
- 1958 - Inauguration of the Federation of the West Indies
- 1962 - Federation of the West Indies dissolved
- 1972 - Report of the Commission of Enquiry into the machinery and administration of justice in each of the magisterial districts of Trinidad and Tobago. Chairman: Mr. Justice Karl de la Bastide, Justice of Appeal
- 1976 - Trinidad and Tobago became a Republic on 1st August, 1976 [Trinidad and Tobago . Trinidad and Tobago Republic Act, 1976 (11 & 12 Eliz. 2 c.54)
- 1998 - Department of Court Administration created. July 1998.
- 1992 - Report of the review team appointed by Cabinet to advise on systems to reduce existing delays in the administration of justice. Chairman: Dennis Gurley
- 2000 - Report of the commission appointed to enquire into and report and make recommendations on the machinery for the administration of justice in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. Chairman: Lord Mackay of Clashfern.
- 2005 - New Civil Proceedings Rules took effect on September 16, 2005
List of Chief Justices - Trinidad and Tobago
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