FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

TO: All Editors-in-Chief, Head of News

 MEDIA RELEASE 

INDUSTRIAL COURT EXTENDS CONDOLENCES ON THE PASSING OF MR. JUSTICE MICHAEL DE LA BASTIDE

Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago: The President, Vice President, Chairman of the Essential Services Division, Members, Registrar and Staff of the Industrial Court of Trinidad and Tobago join with the legal and judicial fraternity and, by extension, the national community, in mourning the passing of former Chief Justice of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and former President of the Caribbean Court of Justice, the Honourable Mr. Justice Michael de la Bastide QC, TC.

Mr. Justice de la Bastide was a practitioner at the Industrial Court when the Court first held its sittings at the Red House in the 1960s. In 2014, on the occasion of the Court’s 50th anniversary, he shared his experiences as a practitioner at the Court, among other things, he said, “… I benefitted from practicing in the Industrial Court; it brought one up against points of view and attitudes that were not encountered in the normal course of court practice. There were people with different philosophies, with more liberal ideas, and people presenting cases and views with great skill and persuasiveness.”

A brilliant mind and highly esteemed figure in the legal community, Justice de la Bastide contributed significantly to the industrial relations jurisprudence of Trinidad and Tobago. The Industrial Court has been guided on the often-raised issue of worker under section 2 (3) (e) of the Industrial Relations Act, by his landmark judgment Claude Albert versus Alstons Building Enterprises Limited, Court of Appeal 37/00. Our heartfelt condolences go out to the family, friends and loved ones of the Honourable Mr. Justice Michael de la Bastide QC, TC during this difficult time. May his soul rest in peace.

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For further Information contact:
Communications Officer
Tel: 225-4288 ext. 2211 or 734-7532
Email: communications@industrialcourt.org.tt

Requirement for Court Security to open and close all doors at the entrances and exits at the Industrial Court of Trinidad and Tobago Discontinued.

By virtue of the Practice Directions of the Industrial Court of Trinidad and Tobago published in the Trinidad and Tobago Gazette, Vol. 59, No. 95 dated Sunday 7th June 2020, Bold No. 701, that the Court Security was required to: 

“Be stationed at the entrances and exits of the North and South Industrial Courts and will open and close all doors” 

This Practice Direction Vol. 59, No. 95 will no longer be in effect as at 1st April 2024. Effective 1st April 2024, the Court security will not be required to open and close all doors at the entrances and exits at the Industrial Court of Trinidad and Tobago. Dated this 26th day of March 2024. 

/s/ H. Seale 

President

TO: All Editors

For Immediate Release

MEDIA RELEASE:

NEW MEMBERS AppointED at the industrial Court OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

 (Seated from left) His Honour Mr. Herbert Soverall, Vice President; Her Honour Mrs. Heather Seale, President and His Honour Mr. Lawrence Achong, Chairman of the Essential Services Division

(Standing from left) Her Honour Mrs. Caron London, Her Honour Ms. Stephanie Fingal, His Honour Mr. Mario Als, His Honour Mr. Glenn Wilson and His Honour Mr. Peter Ramkissoon

Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago: Five new Members, also referred to as Judges, have been appointed to the Industrial Court of Trinidad and Tobago by Her Excellency the President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. They are Their Honours Mr. Peter Ramkissoon, Mr. Glenn Wilson, Mr. Mario Als, Ms. Stephanie Fingal all of whom preside in the General Services Division and Her Honour Mrs. Caron London who presides in the Essential Services Division.

His Honour Mr. Peter Ramkissoon is an experienced Attorney-at-law with a 14-year career in the public sector. He has held various roles, including Senior Legal Officer at the Office of the Chief Personnel Officer, Personnel Department; General Manager, Legal and Corporate Affairs at the Eastern Regional Health Authority and State Counsel II at the Ministry of Health. He is a part-time lecturer at the University of the West Indies, teaching the legal aspects of the Master of Public Health Programme.

His Honour Mr. Glenn Wilson has over thirty-eight (38) years of experience as a Human Capital practitioner.  He has held a number of corporate Human Capital Management roles, including Chief Executive Officer, Government Human Resource Services Company Limited (GHRS); Vice President and Head of HR, BG Trinidad and Tobago Limited (BGTT). He also served as HR Manager at various organizations including CARICOM Secretariat, Trinidad and Tobago National Petroleum Marketing Company Limited (NP), School Nutrition Company Limited (SNCL) and Assistant Manager Compensation, Iron and Steel Company of Trinidad and Tobago (ISCOTT). He is the founding Vice President and a former President of the Human Resource Management Association of Trinidad and Tobago (HRMATT).

His Honour Mr. Mario Als is an Industrial Relations veteran with over forty-five (45) years of experience in the field. He has served as the Deputy President and President of the Banking, Insurance and General Workers Union; 1st Vice President and Executive Member of the Bank and General Workers Union; and Assistant General Secretary of the National Trade Union Centre (NATUC). He is also a past member of the Board of Directors of the National Training Agency and the Caribbean Industrial Research Institute (CARIRI). He is a former member of the National Tripartite Advisory Council.

Her Honour Ms. Stephanie Fingal is a career Human Resources and Industrial Relations practitioner with over three decades of experience.  She has held various management positions in Trinidad and Tobago's private and state sectors including Director of Industrial Relations for a regional commercial bank, and in more recent years, Interim Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Industrial Relations Consultant at the Employers’ Consultative Association of Trinidad and Tobago. She has also been Vice Chairman of the Minimum Wages Board and sat as the Caribbean focal point for Latin America and the Caribbean Eradication and Prevention of Child Labour Initiative on behalf of the International Organization of Employers (IOE).

Her Honour Mrs. Caron London is an Economist with experience in both the private and public sectors. Prior to her appointment as Member of the Industrial Court, she spent twenty-two (22) years working as a Statistician for the Central Statistical Office (CSO) specialising in the computation of macroeconomic indicators. Additionally, her career has included work as a consultant for the International Labour Organization, as well as a tutoring role at the St. Mary's Children's Home.

The Industrial Court welcomes the new Members and congratulates them on their appointment.

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For further Information contact:
Communications Officer
Tel: 734-7532 /225-4288 ext. 2211
Email: communications@industrialcourt.org.tt

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

TO: All Editors-in-Chief, Head of News

 MEDIA RELEASE 

CONDOLENCES ON THE PASSING OF RETIRED CCJ JUDGE, THE HON. MR. JUSTICE JACOB WIT

Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago: The Industrial Court of Trinidad and Tobago is deeply saddened to hear of the passing of the retired Judge of the Caribbean Court of Justice, the Honourable Mr. Justice Jacob Wit. He was an esteemed presence in the legal community, and his passing is a great loss for the Caribbean region.

In September of 2023, we had the pleasure of Justice Wit's company at our Special Sitting for the Opening of the 2023-2024 Law Term. This was not the first time that Justice Wit had been at the Industrial Court. In 2015, he led a team of trainee Judges from the Dutch Caribbean on a courtesy visit where they were able to learn more about our operations and interact with several of our Judges.

The President, Judges, Registrar and Staff of the Industrial Court extend their deepest condolences to his colleagues at the Caribbean Court of Justice, his loved ones and all those who mourn his passing. We pray that his soul will find eternal rest.

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For further Information contact:
Communications Officer
Tel: 225-4288 ext. 2211 or 734-7532
Email: communications@industrialcourt.org.tt

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

All Editors in Chief

 MEDIA RELEASE 

THANK YOU TO HER HONOUR MRS. DEBORAH THOMAS-FELIX,

FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE INDUSTRIAL COURT OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

Port-of-Spain: Her Honour Mrs. Deborah Thomas-Felix, served as President of the Industrial Court of Trinidad and Tobago from December 2011 to December 2023. She was the sixth President and more notably, the first female President of the Industrial Court.

During her tenure, she demonstrated a strong commitment to improving both the rate of delivery of and the ease of access to justice, and on adopting a more professional approach to resolving disputes. Her leadership saw the successful implementation of several crucial initiatives, including the reformation of the pre-trial process, strengthening of the Court’s administrative system and the enhancement of the Judicial Education Training for Judges.

Mrs. Deborah Thomas-Felix also spearheaded the Court’s flagship Meet-with-the-Court Symposium, which brought together stakeholders in the social justice system to discuss current issues of industrial relations and the global labour market, and instituted televised Special Sittings of the Court for the Opening of the Law Term, further enhancing the Court's accessibility, transparency and accountability.

She is a formidable leader, adjudicator and champion for justice. Thanks to her distinguished career as a judicial officer, both locally and internationally, she has made a significant contribution to the industrial relations jurisprudence of Trinidad and Tobago.

We express our gratitude to Her Honour Mrs. Deborah Thomas-Felix for her outstanding leadership, guidance, and expertise. A woman of many firsts, we are confident that she will continue to be a trailblazer and a champion for social justice.

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For further Information contact:

Communications Officer

Tel: 225-4288 ext. 2211 or 734-7532 

Email: communications@industrialcourt.org.tt

Her Honour Mrs. Heather Seale, LL.B, B.Sc., M.Sc.

Her Honour Mrs. Heather Seale was appointed President of the Industrial Court of Trinidad and Tobago on 13th December 2023 by Her Excellency, the President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.

Her Honour Mrs. Seale has served as a Member of the Industrial Court of Trinidad and Tobago for almost two decades. Prior to her appointment at the Industrial Court in 2004, she served as the Registrar of the Tax Appeal Board and State Counsel at the Ministry of Finance. Additionally, she worked for a number of years at the Personnel Department of the Office of the Chief Personnel Officer.

She is the holder of a Bachelor of Laws degree (LL.B) from the University of London, a Bachelor of Science degree (B.Sc.) in Sociology and a Master of Science degree in Occupational and Environmental Safety and Health (with distinction) from the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine. She is also a certified mediator.

Her Honour has extensive training in court administration and judicial education both locally and abroad from institutions such as the International Law Institute, Washington D.C., USA, the National Judicial College, Reno, Nevada, USA and the International Labour Organization.

Her Honour Mrs. Seale has been a lay leader for the past ten years at the Unity Centre of Faith and serves as a Mentor for students at her alma mater St. Francois Girls’ College.

Download speech here:

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