Chief Justice Ivor Archie urged the public “do not panic” as he responded for the first time to the government’s proposal to appoint a Judiciary Chancellor to manage the day-to-day logistics of the courts. He made the remarks during the ceremonial opening of the 2025-2026 law term at the Hall of Justice, Port of Spain, on September 16.

“Until a concrete proposal, we should not speculate,” Archie said, but noted that the Judiciary already has what he described as a “silent chancellor” who performs similar functions.

In July, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar said her government was considering introducing a Judiciary Chancellor. She explained that while the chief justice would remain head of the Judiciary, the new officeholder would oversee court administration, allowing the chief justice to focus on managing legal cases and judicial officers.