In 2024, Trinidad and Tobago's judicial system took centre stage in public life, marked by legal battles that captured the nation’s attention.

Constitutional challenges, high-profile criminal trials, and pivotal civil suits marked the year. Newsday reviews some of the notable cases that defined the legal landscape.

Auditor General allowed to challenge probe

While the issue of crime and the Police Commissioner’s performance at the helm of the police service took centre stage because of unprecedented levels of crime, also dominating news feeds in 2024 was the imbroglio between Auditor General Jaiwantie Ramdass and Finance Minister Colm Imbert over a Cabinet-ordered investigation into her office, with the Privy Council criticising the government’s actions.

The Privy Council’s decision on November 7, meant that Ramdass's lawsuit, which alleges bias and constitutional breaches in the investigation ordered by Imbert, will proceed to trial.

Ramdass claims the investigation is biased and violated constitutional protections that insulate the Auditor General from external control. The case stems from her refusal to accept amended public accounts from the Ministry of Finance, which understated government revenue by $2.6 billion.

Police Commissioner’s extended term upheld

2024 began with Justice Ricky Rahim dismissing a legal challenge against the government’s decision to extend Police Commissioner Erla Harewood-Christopher's tenure beyond her 60th birthday.

Political activist Ravi Balgobin Maharaj argued the extension violated constitutional principles. However, Rahim ruled the decision lawful, emphasising that the extension adjusted Christopher’s retirement age to 63, without infringing the separation of powers. In December, the Privy Council upheld Rahim’s ruling, dismissing Balgobin Maharaj’s constitutional challenge to the process and the exercise of the President’s discretion. Harewood-Christopher was appointed commissioner on February 10, 2023. The Police Service Act 2006 requires the COP to retire at 60. She turned 60 on May 15, 2023. On May 11, 2023, the President extended the top cop’s tenure by a year. On May 13, 2024, it was further extended by a year to May 15, 2025, on the advice of the Cabinet.

Revenue Authority operationalised

Also in 2024, the Privy Council dismissed a Public Services Association challenge against the Trinidad and Tobago Revenue Authority (TTRA). This ruling cleared constitutional hurdles, enabling the TTRA's long-awaited establishment to streamline tax administration.

Ongoing police promotion disputes

Throughout the year, courts were inundated with lawsuits challenging police promotion exercises and the firearm user's license process, with several decisions calling for procedural transparency within law enforcement.

[caption id="attachment_1071281" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Police leave a home in Butu Road, Valsayn after searching for evidence in relation to thedeath of Hannah Mathura whose bones were believed to have been found buried on the property. - Pho