Mr. Justice Anthony Thomas Aquinas Carmona (Ret’d) O.R.T.T., S.C. (Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, Senior Counsel) is the fifth President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago having served from 2013-2018. Justice Carmona graduated from the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, Jamaica with a Bachelor of Arts in English, International Politics and Law (Hons) and a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) UWI, Cavehill, Barbados. He also earned his legal Education Certificate (LEC) from the Sir Hugh Wooding Law School, UWI, St. Augustine.
Justice Carmona has worked in public service all his life, as a secondary school teacher, a lecturer and senior tutor at University of the West Indies, as a prosecutor at National and International Levels for over twenty-one years and as a Criminal High Court Judge for some ten years. He worked at the Office of the Director Public Prosecutions in Trinidad and Tobago from 1983 to 2000, attaining the posts of Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions, Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions and Acting Director of Public Prosecutions. For some four years, he was a Senior Appeals Counsel at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) in The Hague, Holland. These courts were mandated by the United Nations Security Council to prosecute Politicians, Generals and Camp Commanders responsible for crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide in the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda. In 2002, he was bestowed with the distinction of ‘Silk’ and is a Senior Counsel.
Justice Carmona also served during his career as the Legal Advisor in Criminal Law to the late President Arthur N.R. Robinson at the United Nations Preparatory Conferences on the Rome Statute which established the International Criminal Court (ICC). Justice Carmona was elected by the United Nations Assembly of State Parties on 12 December, 2011 in New York as an International Criminal Court Judge but resigned to serve as the Fifth President of The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and was sworn-in on 18 March 2013.
His sterling accomplishments, contributions and distinguished service as a Regional and International Jurist were honoured and celebrated by The University of the West Indies (UWI), St. Augustine as they bestowed him an Honorary Doctorate of Laws (LLD) on the 23 October, 2014. Justice Carmona was also appointed Chancellor of the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT), on the 25 October, 2013, a position he held for five years.
As a Senior Puisne Judge on the Criminal Bench, Justice Carmona initiated the “The Bail Boys Project” as a workable component of Restorative Justice, a project which has been internationally recognised and commended for its affirmative impact on recidivism.
Justice Carmona has been sought after as a keynote speaker locally, regionally and internationally by many international NGOs, the United Nations and international institutions delivering addresses on Climate Change, the environment, the law of the sea, biodiversity, deforestation, crime, money laundering, drug interdiction and intervention Restorative Justice, Mediation and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), recidivism, the International Criminal Court (ICC), pressing social, economic and health issues, youth and female empowerment initiatives, Persons with Disabilities, education and Caribbean integration.
Justice Carmona was the keynote speaker at the inauguration and launch of the International Day of Conscience at the United Nations Vienna, Austria, April 2019. Justice Carmona has been the recipient of several awards among them, Rotary International’s prestigious award, the Paul Harris Award. He was also conferred with the World Peace Culture Award for his relentless advocacy for peace, justice and human rights for all. It is quoted, “He has admirably leveraged his influence to build a peace culture through his inspirational speeches and actions.” Specifically, he gave the feature address at the World Peace Summit in Korea in February, 2019 and in October 2018, was the keynote speaker at the World Chief Justices Conference in Lucknow, India on the rule of law, peace and justice.
Justice Carmona is the patron of many NGOs and organisations in Trinidad and Tobago. Among them, the National Centre for Persons with Disabilities (NCPD) and the Carbon Zero Initiative of Trinidad and Tobago (CZITT). Justice Carmona was recently awarded the Global HOPE Award for demonstrating extraordinary commitment to inclusive leadership, regenerative impact and social equity from Worldwide People with Disabilities (WPWD).
Justice Carmona is a songwriter, composer and Calypsonian with the sobriquet, ‘The Prophet of Sisyphus’ and has sung professionally in his earlier years in the Calypso Tents and competitions. He is an avid supporter of culture, arts, football and cricket and plays lawn tennis competitively.
Justice Carmona is married to former First Lady of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, Mrs. Reema Carmona and they have two children a son, Christian and a daughter, Anura.
