[UPDATED] Nation mourns ex-chief justice

"The nation has lost a good citizen. One who dedicated his life to making this nation better," the Prime Minister said on March 30.

In a Facebook post, Dr Rowley said he awoke to the "sad news of the passing of former chief justice Michael de la Bastide."

"It is my hope that as we celebrate his life of accomplishment, other citizens will step into the footprints that he made and that many more good citizens are born every day.

"On behalf of the Government, myself, my wife Sharon and our family, I extend my sincerest condolences to Simone and her family who were entrusted with the responsibility of providing the love and care that he so richly deserved."

De la Bastide, who was also a former president of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), died at 86. A close relative confirmed his death on March 30.

In a statement from the CCJ, he was described as an exceptionally successful attorney and an exemplary jurist who steered the court from its inauguration until his retirement in 2011.

CCJ president Justice Adrian Saunders said, “It was an extraordinary honour and privilege to have worked alongside President de la Bastide. His razor-sharp mind, his prodigious knowledge of the law and his tremendous experience exerted a profound influence on me. I express deepest condolences to his dear wife and family.”

The court will open a condolence book to the public on April 8.

The Industrial Court, in a statement, also extended its condolences, saying de la Bastide was a practitioner there when the court first held its sittings at the Red House in the 1960s. It said it was often guided on the issue of workers under section 2 (3) (e) of the Industrial Relations Act, by his landmark judgement Claude Albert versus Alstons Building Enterprises Ltd, Court of Appeal 37/00.

The United National Congress also expressed its sympathies in a release, saying de la Bastide would always be remembered and honoured for his contribution to the legal profession and the delivery of justice.

It said he was a voice of reason and expertise as an independent senator and as president of the Law Association and, he dispensed justice with deep insight, knowledge and experience as chief justice and first president of the CCJ.

Former attorney general John Jeremie, SC, said, “It is impossible to recount a history of the practice of the law in the Caribbean without a reference to Michael de la Bastide. He was as much of a giant on the bench as he was at the bar.”

Martin Daly, SC, a former president of the Law Association, concurred, calling de la Bastide a colossus.

Daly, who worked in de la Bastide’s chambers for many years, said, “As far as I’m concerned, in any part of the common-law world, including any part of the Commonwealth, he would have been no less successful than he was in TT and the region. He was that good in the practice of his profession.”

Daly said he was tenacious, but not in an irritating way, as his doggedness was marked by intelligence. He also recalled one of de la Bastide’s mannerisms, saying he took what seemed to be a long time to respond to a point or statement made. He considered a point carefully, did not rush to conclusions and never dismissed a point out of hand.

In addition to his being a lawn tennis and hockey player, Daly said de la Bastide was “a bridge player of considerable note” and often played mas. Otherwise, he led a regular life and never put on airs outside of the law.

Former attorney general Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj said he worked with de la Bastide as a junior counsel in some of his cases. He said de la Bastide had a brilliant legal mind and Maharaj learned a lot from him.

He said when de la Bastide was CJ and he was the country’s attorney general, they worked together to improve the administration of justice.

“We had a very good relationship even though we had differences from time to time. He was a person I had a high regard for. When he became CJ of TT, there was no doubt he brought to the Court of Appeal of TT his experience as a lawyer and he assisted in developing the laws of TT and then at the CCJ.

“He left an indelible mark as a lawyer and as a judge, and he has made a significant contribution to the development of law in TT. Therefore, I extend condolences to his wife and family.”

The Law Association is expected to issue a statement on de la Bastide’s passing on March 31.
De la Bastide is survived by his wife Simone, five children and four grandchildren

Legal career

De la Bastide was Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Trinidad and Tobago from 1995-2002. He was awarded the Trinity Cross in 1996.

He attended St Mary’s College, Port of Spain, where he won an open scholarship (Languages) and went to Christ Church, Oxford University, where he read jurisprudence (law).

He became a member of Gray’s Inn in the UK from 1956 and was a part-time tutor at Christ Church from 1960-1961. He was called to the bar in 1961 and received two scholarships from Gray’s Inn, one of the four Inns of Court in London, the only body legally allowed to call a barrister to the bar in England and Wales.

De la Bastide served as crown counsel in the Office of the Attorney General between November 1961 and April 1963, after which he entered private practice.

He was appointed Queen’s Counsel (now King’s Counsel) in January 1975. He was also elected president of the Law Association, serving for three terms.

De la Bastide was a senior partner in the law firm de la Bastide and Jacelon.
He was also an independent senator from 1976-1981.

He was appointed Chief Justice by President Noor Hassanali, on May 31, 1995. He was sworn in as a member of the Privy Council by the queen on July 27, 2004, and appointed the first president of the CCJ on 18 August, 2004.

He was elected an Honorary Bencher of Gray’s Inn and created a Fellow of the Society for Advanced Legal Studies.

De la Bastide captained Oxford University's tennis team and represented TT in hockey at the PanAm games and in bridge at various international tournaments. He was a member of the Queen’s Park Cricket Club management committee and became vice-president of the club in 1982 and served for a decade.

He was a member of the board of the St Dominic’s Home and a director of the Children's Ark, an NGO run by his wife Simone.

In 2021, de la Bastide published his autobiography, Within the Law: Memoirs of a Caribbean Jurist.

This story has been updated to include additional details. See original story below with the headline 'Former chief justice Michael de la Bastide has died'.

FORMER president of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) Michael de la Bastide, KC, has died.

He was 86.

A close relative confirmed his death on March 30.

De la Bastide was Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Trinidad and Tobago from 1995-2002. He was awarded the Trinity Cross in 1996.

He attended St Mary’s College, Port of Spain, where he won an open scholarship (Languages) and went to Christ Church, Oxford University, where he read jurisprudence (law).

He became a member of Gray’s Inn in the UK from 1956 and was a part-time tutor at Christ Church from 1960-1961. He was called to the bar in 1961 and received two scholarships from Gray’s Inn, one of the four Inns of Court in London, the only body legally allowed to call a barrister to the bar in England and Wales.

De la Bastide served as crown counsel in the Office of the Attorney General between November 1961 and April 1963, after which he entered private practice.

He was appointed Queen’s Counsel (now King’s Counsel) in January 1975. He was also elected president of the Law Association, serving for three terms.

De la Bastide was a senior partner in the law firm de la Bastide and Jacelon.

He was also an independent senator from 1976-1981.

He was appointed Chief Justice by President Noor Hassanali, on May 31, 1995. He was sworn in as a member of the Privy Council by the queen on July 27, 2004, and appointed the first president of the CCJ on 18 August, 2004.

He was elected an Honorary Bencher of Gray’s Inn and created a Fellow of the Society for Advanced Legal Studies.

De la Bastide captained Oxford University's tennis team and represented TT in hockey at the PanAm games and in bridge at various international tournaments. He was a member of the Queen’s Park Cricket Club management committee and became vice-president of the club in 1982 and served for a decade.

He was a member of the board of the St Dominic’s Home and a director of the Children's Ark, an NGO run by his wife Simone.

In 2021, de la Bastide published his autobiography, Within the Law: Memoirs of a Caribbean Jurist.