Senior Reporter
derek.achong@guardian.co.tt
While former Chief Justice Ivor Archie’s nearly two-decade tenure was marked by occasional controversy, colleagues and staff yesterday remembered him as a transformational leader who modernised Trinidad and Tobago’s Judiciary.
Appellate Judge Charmaine Pemberton, who served alongside Archie in the Court of Appeal, addressed a special court sitting at the Hall of Justice in Port-of-Spain to commemorate his retirement.
She acknowledged public criticism of his tenure, referencing a newspaper report that described it as “dogged by controversy.”
“Despite the apparent foreboding description, I remind us of the other side of what I call a distinguished career of a man who knows and continues to know his God, displays a deep and abiding love for his fellow human beings, and many a time put country, court, and family above his own comforts,” Pemberton said.
She praised Archie’s steady guidance.
“You guided the Judiciary through calm passages and turbulent storms, through opaqueness, uncertainty, and uncharted currents. You neither abandoned the ship nor lost your bearing, and when the seas were rough your mere presence assured us we were not adrift in the Caribbean Sea,” she said.
Pemberton also highlighted Archie’s role in transforming the legal culture. Under his leadership, 13 magistrates were promoted to judges—far more than in previous decades—and he helped balance the ratio of male to female judicial officers in the Judiciary.
Senior Counsel Ian Benjamin recalled representing Archie in a controversial case brought by former Chief Magistrate Marcia Ayers-Caesar, who alleged she was pressured to resign due to pending cases when she was promoted to the High Court.
The case, initially dismissed by a High Court Judge, was later upheld by three of Archie’s colleagues in the Court of Appeal and the UK-based Privy Council. Benjamin noted that while Archie faced public criticism, even the most accomplished judges experience setbacks.
“We all make mistakes… You too have had a bitter taste of defeat as you appeared before the apex court. I was your counsel there, so that is a probable explanation for the outcome,” Benjamin said.
In his remarks, Chief Justice Ronnie Boodoosingh, who succeeded Archie in October last year, credited Archie for cementing his own judicial career.
He recalled that he was a temporary judge when Archie was promoted in 2008, and that Archie granted him a permanent appointment.
“I personally therefore owe sincere thanks to him as the head of the Judicial and Legal Service Commission for his role in keeping me on the bench,” Boodoosingh said.
The Chief Justice also highlighted Archie’s initiatives to modernise the judiciary, including the introduction of Criminal Procedure Rules, the establishment of a specialised court for children, electronic court filings, and virtual hearings.
“I cannot count the ways in which his leadership has brought the Judiciary into the modern era,” Boodoosingh said.
“It is a direct result of his foresight, leadership, and planning ahead that we were able to manage as well as we did during and since the COVID pandemic.”
Responding to tributes, including from Justice Minister Devesh Maharaj and Law Association President Lynette Seebaran-Suite, Archie reflected on his decision to switch careers from engineering to law.
“I became a lawyer and later a judge because I had a visceral hatred for injustice, and because I believe everyone has value and deserves the opportunity to recognise their full potential,” he said.
He shared two experiences from his time as a prosecutor that shaped his career: prosecuting a businessman for assaulting a dismissed employee, and sentencing a juvenile offender.
“Those experiences resonated deeply and pushed me into fulfilling my own purpose,” he said.
Archie thanked his colleagues and subordinates for their support, emphasising that his achievements would not have been possible without their dedication.
“I would miss the work a little bit, but I would miss the people even more. The strength of this institution lies not in any one judge, but in the commitment and collective integrity of those who serve,” he said.
“I leave confident that the Judiciary remains in excellent hands.”
