The Honourable Devesh Maharaj, Minister of Justice and Minister in the Office of the Attorney General, held a productive and comprehensive bilateral meeting with the Chief Justice, the Honourable Mr Justice Ronnie Boodoosingh, at the Waterfront Judicial Centre, Tower D, Port of Spain, on Tuesday, August 11, 2026.
The engagement formed part of ongoing collaborative efforts between the Judiciary and the Executive to strengthen the administration of justice, streamline institutional operations, and enhance service delivery across the sector, with a particular focus on Probation Services in Trinidad and Tobago.
Also in attendance were members of the Ministry’s executive, Ms Trudy Lewis, Permanent Secretary (Ag.); Ms Ayanna Gaspard-Clarke, Permanent Secretary (Ag.); and Ms Fran Chaitoo-Jacob, Deputy Permanent Secretary (Ag.).
Representing the Judiciary were the Honourable Justice Devan Rampersad, Justice of the High Court; the Honourable Justice Betsy Ann Lambert-Peterson, Justice of the High Court; Justice Raymond Roberts, Justice of the High Court; Mr Brian Dabideen, Chief Magistrate (Ag.); Ms Kimberly Prescott, Registrar and Marshal (Ag.); and Ms Jamie Philbert, Court Executive Administrator.
They were joined by a delegation from the Probation Services Division, comprising Shervonne Bruno-Pierre, Chief Probation Officer; Lisa Pargass-Mohammed, Assistant Chief Probation Officer; Jason Chattergoon, Probation Officer III; Nirmala Singh, Senior Community Service Officer; and Angenie Ramjattan, Family Court Probation Officer.
The officials reviewed current operational workflows, institutional challenges, and strategic pathways to enhance the efficiency of social inquiry reports, offender rehabilitation, and court-mandated supervision. The deliberations emphasised the critical role of probation officers in supporting judicial decision-making and promoting successful offender re-integration.
In addition to probation services, the Minister, the Chief Justice and key officials explored broader areas of mutual interest, including infrastructural updates, capacity-building initiatives, and inter-agency coordination aimed at reducing case backlogs and improving access to justice for citizens.
During the meeting, the Minister of Justice underscored the value of continued partnership between the Ministry and the Judiciary:
“Today’s engagement with the Chief Justice reinforces our shared commitment to a robust, responsive, and efficient justice system. Strengthening our probation services is vital to both judicial outcomes and broader national security objectives, and we look forward to continued collaboration in this regard.”
The meeting concluded with an agreement to establish joint working mechanisms to advance the key priorities discussed and ensure sustained momentum on institutional reforms.
