Paula-Mae Weekes

Paula-Mae Weekes
Name	Paula-Mae Weekes
Birth date	1958
Birth place	Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
Occupation	Judge, President
Office	President of Trinidad and Tobago
Term start	19 March 2018
Term end	20 March 2023
Predecessor	Anthony Carmona
Successor	Christine Kangaloo

Paula-Mae Weekes is a Trinidadian jurist and public figure who served as the President of Trinidad and Tobago from 2018 to 2023. She is noted for being the first woman to hold the presidency in Trinidad and Tobago and for a long career in the Trinidad and Tobago judiciary and public service. Weekes's tenure intersected with institutions and events across the Caribbean legal and political landscape.

Early life and education

Weekes was born in Port of Spain and raised amid the social and cultural milieu of Trinidad and Tobago, where she attended schools influenced by regional figures and institutions linked to the Caribbean Community and the University of the West Indies. Her tertiary legal education followed paths common to jurists trained in the Commonwealth of Nations tradition, involving study and qualifications recognized by bodies such as the Council of Legal Education and legal training institutions comparable to the Hugh Wooding Law School. Early influences included jurists and political personalities from the Caribbean legal sphere, with contemporaries and predecessors across jurisdictions like Jamaica, Barbados, and Guyana shaping regional legal norms.

Legal career

Weekes's legal career encompassed practice as a barrister and solicitor within the Trinidad and Tobago legal profession, engaging with matters before courts associated with the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council and later interacting with regional appellate mechanisms such as the Caribbean Court of Justice. Her courtroom and advisory roles brought her into contact with attorneys and public figures from institutions like the Bar Association of Trinidad and Tobago and statutory offices influenced by legislators from parties such as the People's National Movement and the United National Congress. Weekes's practice involved litigation and counsel on issues intersecting with statutes and precedents developed through cases in courts populated by judges trained at the University of Oxford, the London School of Economics, and other Commonwealth law faculties.

Judicial and public service

Weekes advanced to judicial appointments and public service roles, serving in capacities that connected her to tribunals and commissions resembling the Public Service Commission and the Police Service Commission in Caribbean governance. As a judge and judicial officer she engaged with administrative frameworks similar to those overseen by Chief Justices and Attorneys General across jurisdictions including Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, and Saint Lucia. Her service involved participation in panels and inquiries akin to those convened by regional heads such as Governors-General and Presidents, and collaboration with officials from entities like the Office of the President (Trinidad and Tobago) and the Ministry of the Attorney General.

Presidency

Weekes was selected for the presidency through constitutional processes involving parliamentary nomination and election, succeeding Anthony Carmona and preceding Christine Kangaloo. Her inauguration invoked ceremonial protocols similar to events presided over by state heads across the Commonwealth of Nations and regional organizations such as the Organization of American States. As President she interacted with Prime Ministers and Cabinets from political groupings including the People's National Movement and the United National Congress, and with diplomatic representatives from countries such as the United Kingdom, the United States, and members of the Caribbean Community. Her role encompassed constitutional duties comparable to those exercised by Presidents in presidential and parliamentary systems across Latin America and the Caribbean.

Political positions and initiatives

Throughout her presidency Weekes addressed national concerns through speeches and symbolic initiatives engaging with institutions and topics tied to public welfare, collaborating with civil society organizations similar to the Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce, faith groups such as the Roman Catholic Church in Trinidad and Tobago, and advocacy networks connected to regional NGOs. Her initiatives referenced policy areas overseen by ministries analogous to the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education and aligned with regional frameworks like the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency and the Caribbean Development Bank on matters requiring coordination between heads of state and multilateral actors. She also used the presidential platform to comment on issues that intersected with international agreements and forums including the United Nations and the Inter-American Development Bank.

Personal life and honors

Weekes's personal affiliations and recognition reflect connections to institutions that bestow honors and engage civic leaders across the Commonwealth, including orders and awards comparable to national decorations granted by presidents and governors-general in countries such as the United Kingdom and Canada. Her career earned acknowledgment from legal and academic bodies similar to the Law Association chapters across the Caribbean and universities like the University of the West Indies and the University of London. Weekes has been associated with community and cultural organizations in Trinidad and Tobago, interacting with figures in the arts and public affairs who have collaborated with entities such as the National Carnival Commission and media outlets related to the Caribbean Broadcasting Union.

Category:Presidents of Trinidad and Tobago Category:Trinidad and Tobago judges Category:1958 births Category:Living people