Wednesday, February 6 2013

ATTORNEY General Anand Ramlogan yesterday said Justice Anthony Carmona does fulfil the requirement of the Constitution which stipulates that a nominee for President should be ordinarily resident in Trinidad and Tobago for ten years.

“The Attorney General wishes to advise that the relevant law was in fact independently researched and considered by three eminent international jurists and the Government is therefore satisfied that Mr Justice Anthony Thomas Aquinas Carmona fulfils the constitutional requirements for him to be validly nominated as President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago,” Ramlogan said.

“With respect to the specific concern raised, I have been advised that Mr Justice Carmona satisfies the constitutional criterion in section 23 (1) as he was in fact ordinarily resident in Trinidad and Tobago for ten years immediately preceding his nomination.”

He said he got legal advice to this effect.

“Legal advice was sought from three internationally-respected jurists, namely Lord David Pannick, QC, Sir Fenton Ramsahoye, SC, and Michael Beloff, QC, on the issue. This was the unanimous conclusion arrived at by all three learned Counsel,” Ramlogan said. Carmona returned to Trinidad in 2004 to become a judge. Prior to this he worked at international tribunals but maintained a home in Trinidad.