The UWI & Office of the Attorney General​ Sign MOU to Strengthen Strategic Collaboration

St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago – April 14, 2026 A new partnership designed to strengthen legal research, professional training and knowledge exchange in Trinidad and Tobago was formalised on Thursday, 26 February 2026, with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Office of the Attorney General and the Faculty of Law at The University of the West Indies (The UWI), St. Augustine.

The agreement establishes a framework for collaboration across a range of areas, including research, student engagement, professional development, and the exchange of expertise, bringing together the institutional strengths of both organisations. Through this partnership, the Office of the Attorney General and The UWI aim to advance legal scholarship, expand opportunities for practical training, and support initiatives that contribute to public service and the development of the legal profession.

Senator the Honourable John Jeremie, Senior Counsel, Attorney General, and a former Deputy Dean of Graduate Studies at The UWI’s Faculty of Law remarked that, “formalising this partnership represents the advancement of a shared vision for impactful engagement between academia and public institutions”.

Expanding on the significance of the partnership, Professor Derek Chadee, Deputy Principal of The UWI St Augustine, emphasized that the MOU signals a shared commitment to knowledge exchange and professional excellence and will strengthen the quality of training that will support innovation in legal practice and create opportunities for joint initiatives that benefit both institutions and the wider society. Also present were Dr Alicia Elias-Roberts, Dean of the Faculty of Law at The UWI St Augustine Campus and Mrs Indira Rampaul-Cheddie, Permanent Secretary (Ag.), Office of the Attorney General.

Both parties expressed their enthusiasm for the opportunities ahead and affirmed their shared commitment to a productive and valuable collaboration.

(L-R): Professor Derek Chadee, Deputy Principal of The UWI; Senator the Honourable John Jeremie, Senior Counsel, Attorney General of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago; Dr Alicia Elias-Roberts, Dean of the Faculty of Law at The UWI; and Mrs Indira Rampaul-Cheddie, Permanent Secretary (Ag.), Office of the Attorney General, pose for a group photograph during The UWI Faculty of Law and Office of the Attorney General MOU Signing, hosted at the Office of the Attorney General.

 (L–R) Senator the Honourable John Jeremie, Senior Counsel, Attorney General of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, and Professor Derek Chadee, Deputy Principal of The UWI, share a handshake following the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between The UWI Faculty of Law and the Office of the Attorney General.

Members of The University of the West Indies (The UWI) and the Office of the Attorney General who assisted with the preparation and negotiation of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) pose for a group photograph during The UWI Faculty of Law and Office of the Attorney General MOU Signing, hosted at the Office of the Attorney General. (L-R): Mr. Darren Taitt Deputy Permanent Secretary (Ag.), Ms. Nirana Parsan, Head, Process Review Team, Mr. Sherwin Rampersad, Director, Legal Services,  Professor Derek Chadee, Deputy Principal of The UWI, Mrs Indira Rampaul-Cheddie, Permanent Secretary (Ag.), Office of the Attorney General, Dr Alicia Elias-Roberts, Dean of the Faculty of Law at The UWI, Kara John, Attorney-at-Law and Legal Research Assistant at the Faculty of Law, The UWI, Mrs Debra Coryat-Patton, Attorney-at-Law, Office of the Campus Registrar, The UWI, Mr. Kenneth Franklyn, Manager, Public Procurement and Director, Human Resources Management Unit, Mr. Kelsey Marhong.

 (L-R): Mr. Darren Taitt Deputy Permanent Secretary (Ag.), Mr. Sherwin Rampersad, Director, Legal Services, Mrs Indira Rampaul-Cheddie, Permanent Secretary (Ag.), Office of the Attorney General, Professor Derek Chadee, Deputy Principal of The UWI, and Dr Alicia Elias-Roberts, Dean of the Faculty of Law at The UWI, and Mrs Debra Coryat-Patton, Attorney-at-Law, Office of the Campus Registrar, The UWI, look on as the official Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is signed during The UWI Faculty of Law and Office of the Attorney General MOU Signing, hosted at the Office of the Attorney General.