Shastri Boodan
Freelance Contributor
Chief Justice Ronnie Boodoosingh has pledged to safeguard the independence of the judiciary, stressing that the courts must remain a defender of equal rights and the rule of law for all citizens of Trinidad and Tobago.
Delivering the feature address at the National Council of Indian Culture’s (NCIC) Indian Arrival Day celebrations at the NCIC Nagar in Chaguanas on Saturday, Boodoosingh said the judiciary would continue to operate without fear or favour under his leadership.
“I can assure you that I will do my best to ensure that the judiciary remains independent and that it will play its role as the defender of equal rights and the rule of law,” he said.
“The courts have a simple but heavy responsibility: to apply the law without fear or favour. It is to ensure that the descendants of the Fatel Razack and the descendants of the Middle Passage, the First Peoples, Europeans, Chinese, Syrian-Lebanese and every later arrival all stand on an equal footing before justice.”
The Chief Justice said the principle of equality must extend beyond one’s own ethnic or religious community.
Boodoosingh noted that Trinidad and Tobago’s progress has often been achieved through collaboration among people of different backgrounds.
Drawing on historical examples, he said major social and political gains were secured when citizens united across ethnic and religious lines.
“The gains the labour movement made in the 1930s, 1940s and 1970s were because workers of different races struggled together,” he said.
The Chief Justice also praised the work of the Inter-Religious Organisation (IRO), describing it as a unique example of sustained interfaith cooperation.
He also praised the religious groups and denominational schools in fostering inclusion and expanding educational opportunities for generations of Trinbagonians.
