Caption: Caption: From left, Justice Sydelle Johnson, Justice Trevor Jones, Justice Josefina Baptiste Mohammed, Chief Justice Ronnie Boodoosingh, Justice Maria Busby Earle-Caddle and Justice Raymond Roberts. AZP News/Alicia Chamely
By Alicia Chamely
PUBLIC confidence in the judicial system must be maintained, says Chief Justice Roonie Boodoosingh.
He made the comment at the swearing in of five new High Court judges at President’s House in St Ann’s on Tuesday.
Five puisne judges were presented with their instruments of appointment by President Christine Kangaloo in a small ceremony.
Boodoosingh said their appointments had come during an important time in the country’s history.
He said the public’s demands of the judiciary and judicial system were especially high and, as judges they will face the scrutiny of the public.
Boodoosingh said, “The demands of the public are rightly significant. Members of the public are interested in ensuring that they receive their judgements in time, obtain a fair hearing. That when they bring disputes to the court, these are resolved in a fair, just and efficient way.
“So, therefore the public will scrutinise our actions as a judiciary and as individuals,” he added.
Boodoosingh said it was under this microscope of scrutiny that members of the judiciary must ensure and where public confidence was maintained.
He said, “As individuals, it is important that we all try our best to ensure that we maintain trust and confidence in the judiciary and our judicial system.”
Boodoosingh welcomed the new justices and acknowledged their families who came to support them.
He said, “I wish to thank your families and for the support that they have given to you over time. I remember when I was appointed many years ago with the support of my family and I know how important that support is.”
The five Puisne Judges to take their oath of office and receive their instruments of appointments were:
- Justice Maria Busby Earle-Caddle;
- Justice Trevor Jones;
- Justice Sydelle Johnson;
- Justice Raymond Roberts; and
- Justice Josefina Baptiste Mohammed
Justice Maria Busby Earle-Caddle, Justice Trevor Jones and Justice Josefina Baptiste Mohammed were no strangers to the judiciary, each having served in an “acting” position.
Profiles of the judges as present by the Office of the President:
Madame Justice Maria Busby Earle-Caddle was an Acting Puisne Judge of the Supreme Court of Trinidad and Tobago. Having gained an LL.B. Honours degree from the University of the West Indies in 1987 and the Legal Education Certificate from Hugh Wooding Law School, Mrs. Earle-Caddle first worked as a legal officer in Trintopec.
In 1990, she became a State Attorney and then joined the Magistracy in 1995, eventually becoming Senior Magistrate. Mrs. Earle-Caddle has appeared in the High Courts of San Fernando and covered all Magisterial Districts and Tobago’s Magistrates’ Courts. In 2017, she was Deputy Chief Magistrate moving eventually to Chief Magistrate in March 2018. She was appointed Acting Puisne Judge at the beginning of 2024.
Mrs. Earle-Caddle is a member of the Criminal Procedure Rules Committee and a past member of the Magisterial Standards Committee and the Case Flow Management and Ethics Committee. She also served on the Executive of the Magistrates Association.
She has attended a large number of training workshops including, most recently, on Gender in the Criminal Justice System in Cartagena, Colombia as well as workshops on Trafficking in Persons, Firearms Control, Gangs and Bail, Plea Bargaining and Judge Alone Trials.
Mr. Justice Trevor Jones was an Acting Puisne Judge in the Criminal and Traffic Division of the Judiciary of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. Having obtained his LL.B. at the University of London in 2005, he went on to gain a distinction in the Certificate of Paralegal Studies at the College of Legal Studies and then the Legal Education Certificate from the Hugh Wooding Law School in 2009.
After serving briefly as a Legal Officer at the Ministry of Planning, Economic and Social Restructuring and Gender Affairs, in 2011 Mr. Jones was appointed State Counsel at the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. In 2021, he became Master of the High Court in the Criminal and Traffic Division of the Judiciary of Trinidad and Tobago. After serving three years in the position, he was sworn in as an Acting Puisne Judge in that Division.
Mr. Jones has conducted Bail training for Masters, Magistrates and other Judicial Officers. He has also participated as a Trainer in the Criminal Law Practitioner Programme hosted by the united Nations Development Programme for young attorneys interested in working with State institutions.
Madame Justice Sydelle Johnson was a Master of the High Court of Trinidad and Tobago in the Family and Children Division of the Family Court Tobago.
Having obtained a Bachelor of Laws degree from The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill in 2008 and the Legal Education Certificate from the Hugh Wooding Law School, she went on to do postgraduate studies at Queen Mary University obtaining a Master of Laws in Human Rights Law in 2015.
Ms Johnson served as an associate at Lynette Seebaran and Company from 2010 to 2019. In addition, she was a 2016 to 2017 Fellowship Recipient at the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights at the Organization of American States. In 2019, she joined the Family and Children Division of the Judiciary of Trinidad and Tobago as an Assistant Registrar and Deputy Marshal eventually becoming Master of the High Court in Tobago.
Ms Johnson is a Board Member of the Judicial Education Institute of Trinidad and Tobago and has participated in a number of training initiatives including the Commonwealth Judicial Education Institute Intensive Study Programme (2024), the I-Jump Mentorship Programme of the Judicial College of England (2025) and the Women’s Leadership Development Programme conducted on behalf of the British High Commission in March 2025. Ms Johnson has served as a volunteer at the Choices Centre for Adolescent Mothers at the Child Welfare League of Trinidad and Tobago. She served as a Camp Counselor at a YMCA Camp in Ohio in the USA in 2007.
Mr. Justice Raymond Roberts was a Registrar and Marshal for the Appeal Court in the Judiciary of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. Having received his LL.B. from the University of the West Indies in 2008 and the Legal Education Certificate from the Hugh Wooding Law School, Mr. Roberts was called to the Bar in 2010. In 2016, he completed the LL.M in Corporate and Commercial Law and in 2024 became a Certified Court Manager. After working briefly at Sinceritas Chambers, Mr. Roberts was the legal Counsel at the Trinidad and Tobago Securities and Exchange Commission for two years. In December 2017, he moved to the Judiciary of Trinidad and Tobago and served as an Assistant Registrar and Deputy Marshal eventually moving up the ranks to his present position.
Mr. Roberts has had considerable experience as a teacher at the Academy of Tertiary Studies, The University of the West Indies Open Campus, the College of Science, Technology and Applied Arts and at the Hugh Wooding Law School where he is an Associate Tutor. He is also an Assistant Chief Examiner in CAPE Law.
Mr. Roberts is a member of the Global Mentorship Initiative and has served on the Registrars Mentorship Programme and the Heroes Foundation “Big Brother Big Sister Programme. He has an interest in hiking and fitness training and was the Event Coordinator for Road Trip TT.
Madame Justice Josefina Baptiste Mohammed was an Acting Puisne Judge of the Supreme Court of Trinidad and Tobago in the Family and Children Division of the Family Court of Port of Spain.
Having gained Second Class Honours in a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of London (External) and the Legal Education certificate from Hugh Wooding Law School, Ms Mohammed was admitted to practice in Trinidad in 1997.
She first worked as an Associate at Boynes and Company and in the chambers of Mr. Roger Bartley, then joined the Office of the Attorney General in 1999. In 2020 she was appointed to the position she now holds: Acting Puisne Judge in the Family Court.
She has acted as a Trainer at the Judicial Education Institute and the Hugh Wooding Law School. She has also gained certification in a large number of areas including international procurement, arbitration, family mediation and crisis management and intervention.
Ms Mohammed is extremely active in the Roman Catholic Church in San Juan acting as the lead in Women’s and Youth Ministry. She received in 2023 the St. John Paul II Award for Youth Ministry and Advocacy.
