By COREY CONNELLY Sunday, October 14 2012

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Suspended deputy chairman of the Integrity Commission and former vice-president of the Industrial Court, Gladys Gafoor, is all smiles as she interacts...

Suspended deputy chairman of the Integrity Commission and former vice-president of the Industrial Court, Gladys Gafoor, was one of seven eminent jurists honoured by the Law Association of Trinidad and Tobago (LATT) on Friday night for having secured 50 years at the Bar.

The others receiving plaques during the association’s annual dinner and dance at the Hilton Trinidad, St Ann’s, which commemorated the 25th anniversary of the LATT, were retired Justice of Appeal Mustapha Ibrahim; Senior Counsel Sonny Maharaj; Justice Clebert Brooks; Clyde Seepersad; retired Justice of Appeal Jean Permanand and her husband Sachidanand Permanand.

The association also recognised two of this year’s national award recipients: respected Senior Counsel Russell Martineau and prominent attorney and women’s rights activist Lynette Seebaran-Suite. During the National Awards Ceremony at Knowsley Building on August 31, Martineau and Seeberan-Suite were acknowledged with the Chaconia Medal Gold for their contributions to law and the development of women respectively.

Delivering the feature address, former president of the association, Senior Counsel Martin Daly, acknowledged the strides made in the profession since the advent of legal education in the West Indies.

“That opened up a whole new world for lawyers,” he said, adding that legal education also allowed for a greater influx of women into the profession.

Daly said the profession has, for the most part, handled the gender balance well “although we are still learning the protocol..”

The former independent senator told the gathering he was heartened by the fact that lawyers have also traditionally championed the cause of the common man. He alluded to the work of late Senior Counsel Desmond Allum and Allan Alexander in this regard.

However, Daly lamented that unlike years gone by, there were not many avenues through which sitting judges and legal practitioners could interact and speak frankly about rules of the profession.

President of the Law Association, Senior Counsel Seenath Jairam, Permanand and retired Justice Sebastien Ventour also spoke.

Among those in attendance were Attorney General Anand Ramlogan, Chief Justice Ivor Archie and new Minister of Justice Christlyn Moore.