TT flag at half-mast for minister's funeral

THE national flag will be flown at half-mast to mark the passing of former minister Lisa Morris-Julian, said a statement from the Ministry of National Security on December 31.

Morris-Julian, the D'abadie/O'Meara MP, tragically died on December 16 in a fire which gutted her Farfan Street, Arima home and also took the lives of her daughter Xianne, 25, and son Jesiah, six.

The statement said, "The Ministry of National Security hereby advises all State and non-State agencies and all Trinidad and Tobago diplomatic missions abroad, that the national flag of TT is to be flown at half-mast on the day of the State-assisted funeral of Lisa Morris-Julian, MP for D'Abadie/O'Meara and Minister in the Ministry of Education. The funeral will take place on Thursday January 2, 2025."

The National Flag should be flown at half-mast or half-staff by lowering the flag by its own depth from its normal position at the peak of the staff when the nation is in mourning.

At half-mast, the flag is first hoisted to the top of the staff for an instant, and then lowered to the half-mast position, the statement added.

Before lowering the flag down for the day the flag is again raised to the top of the staff.

Other flags on the same stand of poles should also be at half-mast or should not be flown at all when the national flag is at half-mast.

Flags of foreign nations should not be flown at half mast, unless their country is also observing mourning.

The funeral will be held at the Santa Rosa RC Church, Arima, at 9 am on January 2, with the service being live-streamed to large screens for public viewing at the Larry Gomes Stadium.

Reports are that amidst the blaze, Morris-Julian had rushed back into her burning house to try to save her children, but they all perished. Autopsies confirmed the three died of acute smoke inhalation. The tragedy prompted a public outpouring of grief, with many people testifying to Morris-Julian's kind-heartedness and public spiritedness.