As part of a vision for sustainable development, in 2000, the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago enacted the Environmental Management Act Chapter, 35:05 of the Laws of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago (the Act).

The Act defines “the environment” as meaning “all land, area beneath the land surface, atmosphere, climate, surface, surface water, groundwater, sea, marine and coastal areas, seabed, wetlands and natural resources within the jurisdiction of Trinidad & Tobago.

The Environmental Management Act and its related Rules and Regulations are public information and can be accessed at the website of the Environmental Commission.

The Environmental Commission is a specialist environmental court. It is a Superior Court of Record created by the Environmental Management Act (Section 81 EM Act). The term “Superior Court of Record” means that it has all the powers that are necessary or required in order to enable it to perform its judicial functions efficiently and effectively, and to protect its dignity, independence and integrity.

The Environmental Commission is made up of six members who hear the environmental matters brought before it. Its Chairman and Deputy Chairman must be attorneys of law of not less than ten years standing. The other members must have knowledge and experience in environmental issues, engineering, the natural sciences or the social sciences. All six members are appointed by the President to hold office for term of not less than three years (Section 82 of EM Act).

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ARTICLES: Human Rights and the Environment: A Synopsis and Some Predictions

NAME: BARRY E. HILL, STEVE WOLFSON, and NICHOLAS TARG *

BIO:

* Barry E. Hill is the Director of the Office of Environmental Justice of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). He has also taught a course in environmental justice for the last ten years at the Vermont Law School. Steve Wolfson is a senior attorney with the EPA International Environmental Law Office and has participated in such international treaty negotiations as the Rotterdam Convention and the U.S. Free Trade Agreements with Jordan and Singapore. Nicholas Targ is the Legal Counsel to the Office of Environmental Justice of the U.S. EPA, and founding Co-Chair of the American Bar Association's Committee on Environmental Justice, Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources. The views expressed in this article are solely those of the authors. No official support or endorsement by the EPA or any other agency of the federal government is intended or should be inferred.

Click here download full article (201KB Adobe PDF)

Her Honour Sandra Paul - Chairman

Her Honour Sandra Paul, a former Judge of the Industrial Court of Trinidad and Tobago, a former Magistrate of the Judiciary of Trinidad and Tobago and former Deputy Chairman of the Environmental Commission of Trinidad and Tobago brings over fifteen years of adjudicatory experience to the post of Chairman of the Environmental Commission of Trinidad and Tobago. Ms. Paul is a Fulbright Hubert H. Humphrey Fellow in Alternative Dispute Resolution with an emphasis on Mediation. Whilst on Fellowship she served a period of internship with the dispute resolution firm of Americord, where she co-mediated in many environmental disputes. She has lectured extensively in alternative dispute resolution and mediation and conducted mediation workshops and training programmes for the Supreme Courts of Trinidad and Tobago and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States. Ms. Paul was appointed a member of the Committee for the Establishment of the Mediation Programme in the Family Court Pilot Project. She along with the other members of that Committee drafted what is now the Mediation Act No. 8 of 2004. Ms. Paul obtained a Diploma in International Environmental Law from the United Nations Institute of Training and Research, and holds a Masters of Laws Degree from the University of London (UK) and a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) Degree from the University of the West Indies. Ms. Paul was admitted to practice to the Supreme Court of Judicature of Trinidad and Tobago in 1982.

Ms. Paul was appointed by His Excellency the President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago to serve as a member of the Mediation Board of Trinidad and Tobago for a period of three years effective January 27th, 2005

Her Honour Indira Ramrekersingh - Deputy Chairman

Mrs. Maharaj-Ramrekersingh brings over 17 years of experience as an attorney at law and broad based knowledge in petroleum and environmental law to her position as Deputy Chairman of the Environmental Commission. She has held senior positions with the Ministry of National Security and the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries, where she worked for 7 years. Her responsibilities there included the legal environmental portfolio. Up to the time of her appointment, Mrs Maharaj-Ramrekersingh was a national advisor to the Ecuador based SIEAL and Assistant Editor - Environment of OGEL, an affiliate of the acclaimed Alexander's Oil and Gas Journal. She has several publications in reputable UK based journals. Mrs Maharaj-Ramrekersingh is a former Director of the National Lotteries Control Board, the Trinidad and Tobago Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and up to the time of her appointment, was a Director of BWIA. She has also sat on several Cabinet appointed committees. She has been trained in environmental mediation at the Environmental Law Center in Vermont, USA and in Alternative Dispute Resolution. Following the award of a scholarship, she graduated with a Master's Degree, Distinction in Petroleum Law from the prestigious University of Dundee in Scotland. She is also the holder of Honour degrees in the Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Arts.

His Honour Dr. Eugene C. Laurent - Commissioner

Dr Eugene C. Laurent completed his early education in Trinidad and Tobago. He attended the University of Manitoba , Winnipeg , Canada where he obtained the degrees of Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) and Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) in 1959 and 1964 respectively. Dr. Laurent pursued post-graduate training at the University of the West Indies, Jamaica where he obtained the Diploma in Public Health (D.P.H.) in 1976. Dr Laurent brings to the Environmental Commission extensive experience in Environmental Health and Environmental Management, having had the responsibility for those activities in the services of the Governments of Trinidad and Tobago and of Grenada for several years. During those years Dr. Laurent played a leading role in the recommendation and implementation of environmental polices for both countries. In 1985 the Government of Trinidad and Tobago appointed Dr. Laurent as Chairman of a Committee to organise a Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) sponsored National Consultation on Environmental Health and Protection. The major recommendation of the Consultation was that there was urgent need to establish an Environmental Management Agency to ensure sustainable development in Trinidad and Tobago. Dr. Laurent has represented the Government of Trinidad and Tobago and the Government of Grenada at several regional and international conferences, workshops and seminars and has delivered numerous lectures on environmental topics.

His Honour Roger deLacy Carrington, B.Sc., M.Sc., R.Eng.

Mr Roger Carrington is a Registered Industrial Engineer graduating from The University of The West Indies with a BSc in Industrial Engineering (Honours) in 1987.  He immediately joined Industry at the Caribbean Industrial Research Institute as an Industrial Engineer until leaving to complete his MSc in Environmental Management and Policy at the International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics (IIIEE) at Lund University, Sweden in 1996, through a Full Scholarship from the Government of Sweden.  Mr Carrington then worked as an Environmental Professional in Trinidad in industry and then at The Association of Caribbean States until in 2000 he left Trinidad to work in Botswana as a Pollution Advisor for the Government of Botswana at the Department of Water Affairs.  He returned to Trinidad & Tobago and joined the University of Trinidad & Tobago in the Centre for Innovation, Development, Enterprise & Strategy in 2006.