DEREK ACHONG
Senior Reporter
derek.achong@guardian.co.tt
Members of the public have been invited to sign condolence books for former Chief Justice Michael de la Bastide, next week.
The invitation was extended by the Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister—Communications in a press release issued yesterday afternoon.
The condolence books will be at the Hall of Justice at Knox Street in Port-of-Spain and headquarters of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) at Henry Street in Port-of-Spain between 9 am and 3 pm, next Monday.
The books will be at both locations as well as the Hall of Justice in Scarborough, Tobago, and the Princes Town Court at Naparima Mayaro Road in Princes Town during the same hours, next Tuesday and Friday.
de la Bastide’s official funeral is scheduled to take place at the Church of the Assumption in Maraval at 10 am, next Thursday.
Speaking with Guardian Media on Wednesday, Minister of Foreign and Caricom Affairs Dr Amery Browne confirmed that the Government was assisting his family with the funeral arrangements.
Browne said then: “We are currently working closely with the de la Bastide family, with the Ministry of the Attorney General, the CCJ, the Judiciary, and other key stakeholders in the planning process for an official funeral in honour of the outstanding life and service of Michael de la Bastide.”
He explained that it would be an “official” funeral as opposed to a “State” funeral as the latter is only accorded to Heads of State and Government.
Guardian Media understands that there are a few similar protocols with both types of funerals and several differences.
de la Bastide, who served as this country’s seventh post-Independence Chief Justice, died on Saturday morning.
He was the country’s only surviving retired chief justice at the time of his death.
Retired chief justice Clint Bernard, who preceded him, and Sat Sharma, who succeeded him, both died in 2019.
de la Bastide, a former student of St Mary’s College, worked at the Office of the Attorney General, after completing his legal studies at Christ Church College of Oxford University in the United Kingdom.
He was made Chief Justice in 1995. The following year, he was awarded the Trinity Cross, the country’s highest honour before it was replaced with the Order of the Republic of T&T (ORTT).