Chief Justice Ivor Archie has appointed three attorneys-at-law, two of whom are Senior Counsel, to serve as members of the Review Tribunal established under the provisions of the Constitution of Trinidad and Tobago and the regulations governing the current state of emergency. The panel comprises Gilbert Peterson, SC as chairman, and Deborah Peake, SC and Rajmanlal Joseph, members. The tribunal, which has been established pursuant to Section 11 (1) of the Constitution of Trinidad and Tobago, and paragraph 5 (2) of the second schedule of the Emergency Powers Regulations 2011, is to review the case of any person, if he or she so requests, who is under preventative detention during the period of public emergency which commenced on August 21.
The Emergency Powers Regulations 2011 vest the Minister of National Security with power to make detention orders. The tribunal is empowered to regulate its own procedure. Peterson, who is the current chairman of the Disciplinary Committee of the Law Association of Trinidad and Tobago, has 24 years experience as an attorney-at-law, and has appeared in numerous criminal trials, both as defence attorney and as a special prosecutor. He also has appeared in several civil trials, judicial review applications and constitutional motions, and was a member of the Cabinet-appointed Gurley Committee on the backlog of cases in the courts of Trinidad and Tobago. Peake was admitted to the bar 29 years ago, and specialises in Public (administrative and constitutional) and corporate law.
She has served several major clients in the banking and industrial sector in Trinidad and Tobago and also has sat on many statutory bodies, including the Integrity Commission, the Elections and Boundaries Commission and the Trinidad Securities and Exchange Commission. Joseph is currently chairman of the Equal Opportunity Tribunal and is an attorney-at-law of 19 years standing. His wide professional experience embraces public law, including judicial review and constitutional motions, as well as private law, covering contracts and tort. All three are graduates of the University of the West Indies and the Hugh Wooding Law School. The Chief Justice will release further information shortly on how the tribunal may be accessed.