Trinidadian sworn in as acting Chief Justice of ECSC

A Trinidadian judge has made a significant historical achievement by becoming the first woman from Trinidad and Tobago to be appointed as chief justice outside of the Eastern Caribbean region.

According to a report on newsday.co.tt, Justice Margaret Price-Findlay was sworn in as the acting Chief Justice of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court on May 2,. Her term as acting Chief Justice will span from May 5, 2025, until February 25, 2026, or until the regional court’s judicial and legal service commission selects a permanent Chief Justice.

The article further elaborated that she is the first individual from outside the Eastern Caribbean to occupy this position, as all previous chief justices in the court’s history have originated from within the Eastern Caribbean.

Price-Findlay was born in Diego Martin and received her early schooling at the Holy Name Convent in Port of Spain. In 1985, she earned a Bachelor of Laws degree with honors from the University of the West Indies, located at the Cave Hill Campus in Barbados. She subsequently attended the Hugh Wooding Law School, where she was awarded the Legal Education Certificate upon completing her studies in 1987.

The article also noted, as an interesting side detail, that Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar was a fellow student in her class at the Hugh Wooding Law School in 1987.

Later that year, Justice Price-Findlay was admitted to the Bar of Trinidad and Tobago.

Her legal career commenced as an associate at the law firm of James Brathwaite from 1987 to 1988. From 1988 to 1990, she worked as an associate at the Chambers of Clarke and Company. Between 1991 and 1994, she held the position of associate at the Chambers of McW Todman and Company in the Territory of the Virgin Islands. In 1995, she established her own private legal practice in the Virgin Islands, which subsequently grew into a law firm with other notable partners and associates. Justice Price-Findlay served as the managing partner in her firm until she was appointed to act as a High Court Judge of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, assigned to Anguilla, from February to May 2009.

In September 2009, Justice Price-Findlay was appointed as a High Court judge assigned to Grenada. From September 1st, 2015, to August 2022, she was assigned to St Lucia and served as a judge in the Criminal Division of the High Court. Seven years later, on September 1st, 2022, she was promoted to the Court of Appeal Bench.

In conclusion, the article quoted her biography on the court’s website, which stated that Justice Price Findlay “brings extensive experience to the role, including an invaluable understanding of the trial and appellate jurisdictions. She has also acted as a judge of the Court of Appeal on numerous occasions prior to her full-time appointment.”