[UPDATED] Caroni cremation for ex-judge, senator

FORMER Senator in the National Alliance for Reconstruction (NAR) government and respected jurist, Justice Amrika Tiwary-Reddy, will be laid to rest on Tuesday.

Her sister, Mandavi Tiwary, said the funeral would take place at the Himalaya Club from 9.30 am. Her body will then be cremated on the banks of the Caroni River, at 11.30 am.

In an interview on Sunday evening, Mandavi said her sister, who had an illustrious career which spanned some five decades, was a trailblazer for women in law.

“Wherever you go, women would tell you what a legacy she left. All the girls wanted to be like her, for her simple elegance, her good values, good family life, good academic qualifications, she was an exemplar.”

Mandavi, who is also an attorney, said Tiwary-Reddy was a mentor to many of the leading female members of the judiciary.

Tiwary-Reddy, 78, a 2012 Chaconia Medal (Gold) recipient, died on Saturday afternoon at the Eric Williams Medical Complex, Mt Hope.

She suffered from Parkinson's disease, complicated by other ailments. She was admitted to the hospital in mid-March and the family were hoping for her full recovery, but that did not happen, Mandavi said.

She said Tiwary-Reddy, who was divorced, was not a biological mother, but cared for and helped raised and influence all of her nephews and nieces, whom she treated as her own.

Tiwary-Reddy had an illustrious career, starting with her admission to the bar in England in 1968 and in TT in 1969. She was appointed as a judge in 1998 until 2011, when she retired.

Having migrated to British Columbia, Canada in 1994, after marrying a Canadian national, Tiwary-Reddy also practised at the Canadian Bar.

She was a strong advocate for reform of the laws governing the inability of judges to continue to practise in the courts for ten years after retirement and, improvement of their pension benefits.

Dr Devant Maharaj, adjunct professor, University of TT, and a former government minister, said Tiwary-Reddy also served as chair of the Family Court and the Fair-Trade Commission.

Secretary General of the Maha Sabha Vijay Maharaj said Tiwary-Reddy had the distinction of being the first principal of the Lakshmi Girls' Hindu College.

Two former leaders of the NAR, Winston Dookeran and Carolyn Seepersad-Bachan, expressed sadness at her passing.

In a statement issued late on Saturday, President Christine Kangaloo said she too was deeply saddened by the death of the retired judge.

Kangaloo recalled that Tiwary-Reddy also acted as Attorney General on several occasions between 1989 and 1991, becoming the first woman to do so.

Kangaloo's statement read in part, “She also served as a member of the Cabinet-appointed Public Service Review Task Force and of the Council of the Bar Association of TT (1982-86)...by her retirement in 2011 she was the most senior female judge on the High Court bench.

“Perhaps most notable on her list of accolades was her appointment, at the age of 18, as the first principal of Lakshmi Girls’ Hindu College."

The Office of the President offered sincere condolences to her family and friends.

May she rest in peace.”

This story was originally published with the title "Respected jurist, former NAR senator Amrika Tiwary-Reddy dies" and has been adjusted to include additional details. See original post below.

FORMER Senator in the National Alliance for Reconstruction (NAR) government and respected jurist Justice Amrika Tiwary-Reddy, whose career spanned over four decades, has died.

Tiwary-Reddy, a 2012 Chaconia Medal (Gold) recipient, died on the afternoon of April 6 at the Eric Williams Medical Centre, Mt Hope.

There are no details at the moment as to the cause of her death.

She had an illustrious career, starting with her admission to the bar in England in 1968 and in Trinidad and Tobago in 1969. She was appointed as a judge in 1998 until 2011, when she retired.

Having migrated to British Columbia, Canada, in 1994, after marrying a Canadian national, Tiwary-Reddy also practised at the Canadian Bar.

She was a strong advocate for reform of the laws governing the inability of judges to continue to practise in the courts for ten years after retirement and improvement of their pension benefits.

Dr Devant Maharaj, adjunct professor, University of TT, and a former government minister, said Tiwary-Reddy also served as chair of the Family Court and the Fair Trade Commission.

Secretary General of the Maha Sabha Vijay Maharaj said Tiwary-Reddy had the distinction of being the first principal of the Lakshmi Girls' Hindu College.

Two former leaders of the NAR, Winston Dookeran and Carolyn Seepersad-Bachan, have expressed sadness at her passing.

In a statement issued late on April 6, President Christine Kangaloo said she too was deeply saddened by the death of the retired judge.

Kangaloo recalled that Tiwary-Reddy also acted as Attorney General on several occasions between 1989 and 1991, becoming the first woman to do so.

Kangaloo's statement read in part, “Perhaps most notable on her list of accolades was her appointment, at the age of 18, as the first principal of Lakshmi Girls’ Hindu College...

“The Office of the President offers sincere condolences to the family and friends of Justice (Retired) Amrika Tiwary-Reddy.

“May she rest in peace.”