Herbert Volney

Career

Between 1994 and 2010, Volney was a judge of the Supreme Court of Trinidad and Tobago. Volney was a member of parliament, and he became Justice Minister in Kamla Persad-Bissessar's cabinet.

While Justice Minister, Volney met Venezuelan Ambassador Maria Eugenia Marcano Casado to begin discussions about potential cooperation on penal reform, offender management and other criminal justice issues. He also met Sir Edward Garnier who retired from politics in the 2017 General Election in the United Kingdom. As Justice Minister he was somewhat controversial, making headlines through unfortunate comments and by proposing that prisoners be allowed conjugal visits at a time when supposed rising crime rates prompted the citizenry to punish prisoners more severely. He was dismissed in September 2012, being one of eleven ministers who were fired by the former government, including his successor at the Ministry of Justice Christlyn Moore, before the leading party lost the September 2015 General Elections. He was criticized at the time by Persad-Bissessar for having allegedly misled the Cabinet over the early proclamation of Section 34 of the Administration of Justice (Indictable Offences) Act; however, British Queen’s Counsel Edward Fitzgerald argued during a hearing in the High Court in January 2013 that Volney did not mislead his Cabinet colleagues. He appeared with Persad-Bissessar at a public UNC event in May 2013.