INDUSTRIAL Court president Heather Seale lauded the institution’s six-decade legacy of advancing industrial peace and supporting Trinidad and Tobago’s socioeconomic progress during a 60th-anniversary commemorative service at the Parish of the Assumption in Maraval on Thursday.
The event, attended by President Christine Kangaloo, Prime Minister Stuart Young, Chief Justice Ivor Archie, and Attorney General Camille Robinson-Regis, highlighted the court’s evolution and its enduring challenges.
Seale traced the court’s journey from its 1965 inception with five members handling 49 cases annually to its current roster of 24 members adjudicating up to 1,000 disputes each year.
She said, “The court’s contribution to industrial stability has fostered social and economic growth.”
Seakes credited decades of “dedicated and independent judges,” including six who have served over 20 years. She also acknowledged stakeholders who “challenge us to give our best,” ensuring the court’s rigour and fairness.
Archbishop of Port of Spain Charles Jason Gordon praised the court’s role in mediating labour disputes but urged its mission statement to explicitly prioritise “serving the common good.”
He said, “Without a clear sense of serving the common good, each judge risks viewing cases through personal ideology. Every judgment must be scrutinised as either serving—or not serving—this balance.”
Seamen and Waterfront Workers Trade Union president Michael Annisette tied rising crime to unemployment and systemic inequities.
She said, “Crime stems from unemployment and flaws in our education system,” he said, urging the court to champion social justice through “living wages and fair employment terms.”
