The Honourable Mme. Justice Pemberton, JA

The Honourable Mme Justice Pemberton sat on the High Court Bench in excess of eleven years prior to her elevation. She was admitted to the Bar of Trinidad in Tobago in 1983 after obtaining her LLB (Hons) from the University of the West Indies and her Legal Education Certificate from the Hugh Wooding Law School.

Her legal career started with contributions to the firm E.T.V Kelly & Company and the Government of Trinidad & Tobago at the Chief State Solicitor's Office. In 1987, she transferred to the Office of the Ombudsman and remained there for seven years until 1994. During her time at the Office of the Ombudsman she often played the role of a mediator and conducted dispute settlement in a variety of matters. This is where her interests in public law, with reference to human rights, governance issues and alternative dispute resolution were born and have since flourished.

The Honourable Judge then joined J.D. Sellier & Co. where she practiced in the Litigation and Commercial Departments, with limited exposure to Intellectual Property matters until 1999.

She later practiced as a sole practitioner for six months until July 2000, when she joined the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court as its first Master. As Master, she was responsible for presiding over all matters of Civil Litigation in Grenada, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Dominica, with a short stint in St. Kitts and Nevis.

Justice Pemberton was elevated to Judge in 2003 and served in St. Lucia and St. Kitts and Nevis becoming the first female Judge in Grenada, where she served both the Criminal and Civil jurisdictions. Whilst serving in St. Lucia, the Honourable Judge was part of the Implementation Committee of the Court Annexed Mediation Programme. As resident Judge in Grenada, she chaired the Mediation Implementation Committee.

In 2005 she returned to Trinidad & Tobago and was appointed Judge of the High Court in the Civil Division and then Chairman of the Court Connected Mediation Committee

Justice Pemberton is a trained Mediator, a certified Judicial Settlement Officer and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and a trainer at that Institute. The Honourable Judge has co facilitated Mediation Training Programmes in Grenada for the court connected Mediated Programme and a certified Judicial Trainer by the University College London (UCL).

Justice Pemberton has authored two published papers: "The Ombudsman and Development: Structural Adjustment and its effect on the Ombudsman Institution" in International Ombudsman Journal Number 13 1995 and, "Structural Adjustments and Trade in Services in CARICOM": in Caribbean Affairs Journal, 1994.

The Honourable Mme Justice Pemberton's vast experience and training will be a significant asset to the Court of Appeal Bench.