Overview

The vision of the Judiciary of Trinidad and Tobago is "to provide an accountable Court System in which timeliness and efficiency are the hallmarks, while still protecting integrity, equality and accessibility, and attracting trust and confidence."

Continuous judicial education is therefore essential if the Judiciary is to fulfill its mandate to the public and its stakeholders and deliver justice in an effective and efficient manner, while sustaining public trust and confidence. This is essentially the role of the Trinidad and Tobago Judicial Education Institute (TTJEI) – a distinct but integral part of the Judiciary, committed to the establishment's core objective, the administration and achievement of justice.

This is done by the TTJEI in its own unique way and its purpose can best be understood by the Institutes' Mission Statement which is "To promote excellence in the administration of justice in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago through continuous training and development of Judges,' other judicial officers and non- judicial staff attached to the Judiciary." The training and development programmes delivered are the hallmark of the Institute as it strives to improve the functioning and competence of the Judiciary and its judicial officers, keeping all au courant with changes that may influence the Judiciary's operations.

Starting off as a pilot project in 2002 under the patronage of the Hon. Mr. Justice de la Bastide, the then Chief Justice, the TTJEI slowly became a reality and began its formal operations in April 2003. Since then, the Institute has provided a critical service to the Judiciary and ultimately the public, through its high quality training and educational programmes. By doing so, it also assists the Judiciary to perform in a manner that upholds its independence and integrity while at the same time ensuring public trust and confidence in the administration of justice. The consequence is that the TTJEI also facilitates the objective of the Judiciary becoming a high-performing, professional organisation.

The TTJEI has always taken a holistic approach to Judicial Education addressing all aspects of judicial development. The TTJEI is committed to partnerships with our external stakeholders in the Justice System, including the Law Association of Trinidad and Tobago, the Police and Prison Services, as well as the DPP's office, and has undertaken training programmes with them. In early 2011, the Cabinet officially approved the restructure of the TTJEI. It is now a permanent department within the judiciary.