Paula-Mae Weekes/ Trinidad and Tobago

Paula-Mae Weekes

Paula-Mae Weekes

6th President of Trinidad and Tobago

1st Female President of the Republic

Born: December 23, 1958

Attended Tranquillity Government Primary School,

Bishop Anstey High School

University of the West Indies, Faculty of Law, Cave Hill Barbados graduating in 1980 with a Bachelor of Laws (Hons)

Hugh Wooding Law School, St Augustine, obtained her Legal Education Certificate in 1982.

She joined the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions as State Counsel I in November 1982.

After representing the State in the Magistrates, High and Appeal Courts she resigned as Senior State Counsel in 1993.

She established her own Chambers after a brief period in the Chambers of a distinguished Senior Counsel.

She was invited to apply for the office of Puisne Judge in the Judiciary of the Republic and was appointed on 1st September 1996.

She became the Fifth (5th) Female Judge in Trinidad and Tobago's High Court.

She presided in the trial courts almost exclusively in the criminal jurisdiction.

Elevated to the Court of Appeal in 2005 and served until 2016.

Acted in the position of Chief Justice from August 1st to 11th 2012.

She is a qualified judicial educator, a Fellow of the Commonwealth Judicial Education Institute in 2000. She was deeply involved in training for various levels of a judicial officer and has conceptualised, designed and facilitated a wide range of training programmes both locally and regionally.

After retirement from the Judiciary of Trinidad and Tobago, she enjoyed a new position as Executive Director of PMW Criminal Justice Consultancy and Training a small outfit providing services geared towards the development of the criminal justice sector.

She was a Course Director for Ethics Rights and Obligations of the Legal Profession at the Hugh Wooding Law School (2010-2016) and created the current course manual, supervised associate tutors, pioneered innovative pedagogical techniques and served as First Examiner during that period.

She joined the Appellate Bench in the Turks and Caicos Islands in September 2016 she became the first woman to serve in that capacity.

From 1997 until her election as President she was the Chancellor of the Anglican Church in the Diocese of Trinidad and Tobago. She was a member of the Diocesan Council and provided legal services on ecclesiastical and other matters to three successive Bishops of the Diocese.

She is an avid cultivator of orchids and enjoys exploring foreign lands.

She was put forward as the Presidential Candidate on the 5th January 2018, by Prime Minister Keith Rowley. She was the only nominated candidate and was approved by the opposition led by Kamla Persad-Bissessar.

She was preceded by Anthony Carmona.

Assumed office on the 19th March 2018.