The Trinidad Years - Pre-Tanzania

• Author: Albert Fiadjoe
• Profession: Professor of Public Law at the University of the West Indies and a former Dean of Law
• Pages: 16-27

16 | Kelsen in the Grenada Court - Essays on Revolutionary Legality

16 | Telford Georges: A Legal Odyssey

Early Practice

On leaving England, Telford made a deliberate decision not to

return to Dominica. He felt that the opportunities for a significant

law practice were not high and in the smaller islands at that time, the

work available to young practitioners was solicitor’s work – writing

letters, doing probates, making deeds and the like. He felt it would

have been impossible to survive on that sort of practice, the more so

as there was no resident judge in Dominica at that time. The judge

visited every three months to hear cases. On the other hand, he had

always seen himself practising as a barrister – giving opinions and

appearing in Court. This type of practice was much more available

in the larger Caribbean islands.

THE TRINIDAD YEARS – PRE-TANZANIA

His move to Trinidad was somewhat fortuitous. The fact is that he

had become engaged to a Trinidadian lady while studying overseas and

this led to his decision to move there. Although that marriage did not

take place, he remained in Trinidad where he started his law practice,

later joining the Bench as a judge. He found Trinidad a welcoming

society, and never felt disadvantaged in pursuing a professional career

there because he was not a Trinidadian by birth. Although, as he jokingly

put it, he was a ‘Trinidadian by boat’, many Trinidadians are unaware

that he was actually born in Dominica. At Independence he took

advantage of the provisions which enabled him, by reason of being

resident there for many years and being a citizen of the Commonwealth,

to register as a citizen of Trinidad and Tobago. Since he was not a

native of Trinidad, he entered the society as a middle class professional,

unburdened by circumstances of his birth or social class or colour

constraints. He was also free from racial prejudice. To his death he