Former Chief Justice Michael de la Bastide, First President of Caribbean Court of Justice, Passes Away at 86

Trinidad and Tobago- Former chief justice Michael de la Bastide and first president of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) has died.

His relatives confirmed that de la bastide passed away on Saturday morning at the age of 86.

Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley today posted a message on his Facebook page, stating he awoke to news of de la bastide’s passing.

“I awoke this morning to the sad news of the passing of Former Chief Justice Michael de la Bastide. The nation has lost a good citizen. One who dedicated his life to making this nation better.

“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,” stated the Prime Minister.

De la Bastide was a former student at St Mary’s College where he won the Trinidad and Tobago Open Scholarship (Languages) in 1954. Fron St Mary’s College, he proceeded to the Christ Church College of Oxford University from 1956 to 1960 and qualified as an attorney in 1961.

He proceeded to work at the Office of the Attorney General and was made Queen’s Counsel in 1975 at the age of 38.

From 1976 and 1981, de la Bastide was an independent senator and served as Law Association president from 1987 to 1990.

He was made Chief Justice in 1995 and the next year, he was awarded the Trinity Cross, the country’s highest honour before it was replaced with the Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago (ORTT).

Following his retirement from the Judiciary in 2002, de la Bastide went on to become the first President of the CCJ and retired from that position in 2011.