Armour gets three-month stint in Eastern Caribbean appeal court

FORMER attorney general Reginald Armour, SC, has been appointed to act for three months as an Appeal Court judge in the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC).

His appointment takes effect from March 23 and continues until June 21, a notice from the court’s judicial and legal service commission said.

On March 16, at the unveiling of the PNM’s 2025 election candidates, former prime minister Keith Rowley confirmed Armour had been offered the post in the Eastern Caribbean and was expected to be sworn in soon.

According to Rowley, Armour’s new job offer should be something that Trinidadians are proud of, given his portfolio in this country. Rowley further took the opportunity to dismiss any statements coming from the opposition regarding Armour’s new position.

“Thank God the judges and the population of the Eastern Caribbean are not like the UNC and their leader and their leadership. I want to congratulate Reginald Armour for being selected to be a judge in our neighbouring territory in Caricom,” Rowley added.

Armour vacated the post ahead of Prime Minister Stuart Young’s appointment on Monday. Former housing minister Camille Robinson-Regis replaced him.

Armour previously served as acting appellate judge in the ECSC.

Armour’s three-year tenure was fraught with controversy, legal battles, and public disputes. His frequent travels and disqualification from the State’s civil asset recovery case concerning the Piarco International Airport Construction Project cast a shadow over his time in office. The disqualification stemmed from allegations that Armour downplayed his role in the local case, leading to concerns about his impartiality.

In January 2023, the State’s failure to file a defence in a civil claim brought by nine men accused of murder in the Vindra Naipaul-Coolman case resulted in a default judgment of $20 million for malicious prosecution. However, by December 2023, High Court Judge Joan Charles overturned the default judgment granted in 2021. The matter was subsequently appealed, and the Appeal Court heard submissions in 2024, though a ruling is still pending.

Another public dispute arose between Armour and Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Roger Gaspard, SC, over a building on Park Street, Port of Spain, intended for the DPP’s office. During the Standing Finance Committee meeting following the 2024 Budget, Armour disclosed that $55 million had been paid in rental fees for the building since 2019. However, Gaspard and his staff never moved in, citing security concerns. Rowley also criticised the DPP for the delay. On March 14, the Office of the AG said the keys to the DPP office’s new building on St Vincent Street, Port of Spain, where the First Citizens Bank was located, were given to Armour by then finance minister Colm Imbert.

Armour was also embroiled in a dispute with Auditor General Jaiwantie Ramdass over an alleged understatement of public revenue for the 2023 financial year. He refused to approve legal fees for Ramdass to challenge what she viewed as an attack on her office by Imbert.

In February, the Attorney General’s office announced that the Government had discontinued its investigation into Ramdass’s role in the revenue understatement. A Cabinet-appointed investigative committee, led by former High Court judge David Harris, had submitted its final report, though the exact submission date was not disclosed. The statement explained that continuing legal proceedings would not add to the committee’s findings and would only lead to further legal costs and court time.

This decision followed sharp criticism from the Privy Council on Imbert’s decision to appeal a ruling that allowed Ramdass to challenge the investigation into her and her office.