San Fernando free legal clinic

Free legal advice. Walk with all relevant documents. 

10 T&T laws you didn't know existed

It is illegal to:

1.      Beg - s.45(b) of the Summary Offences Act 1921, as amended.

2.      Engage in fortune telling - s.45(e) of the Summary Offences Act 1921, as amended.

3.      Repair, wash or clean a vehicle on the street - s.64(1)(a) of the Summary Offences Act 1921, as amended.

4.      Fly kites. - s.71 of the Summary Offences Act 1921, as amended. Kite flying is only legal in Queen's Park and Arima Savannahs

5.      Blow your horn in municipal areas between 9pm – 5:30am - Rule 12(2) of The Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic Regulations under the Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic Act 1934, as amended. N.B. Municipal area” means one of the areas under the First and Second Schedules of the Municipal Corporations Act 1990, as amended

6.      Sell fresh meat or fresh fish in Princess Town outside of the public market - Section 6 of the Country Markets Act 1905, as amended. The fine is currently $200

7.      Import a mongoose - s.2(1) of the Mongoose Act 1918

8.      Pay workers with anything other than money - The Truck Act 1918, as amended. The truck system was the practice of paying wages in goods, or of requiring workers to purchase goods at certain shops. This led to workers being compelled to take goods of inferior quality at a high price.

And the others

9.      Whilst considered incestuous and therefore illegal prior to 1911, a man can now legally marry his sister-in-law after his wife has died. - Deceased Wife’s Sister’s Marriage Act, 1911

10.  The extremely unfair Landlord and Tenant Ordinance, 1846 has never been amended and unfortunately remains law in Trinidad and Tobago in 2015.

T&T law on camouflage clothing

Q: What is the law on wearing camouflage clothing in Trinidad and Tobago?

A: It is illegal to wear or import any item of clothing resembling the uniform of the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force... 

Summary Offences Act 1921, as amended

98. (1) A person not serving in the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force shall not wear, without the Minister’s permission, the uniform of any member of that Force, or any dress having the appearance or bearing any of the regimental or other distinctive marks of any such uniform: This enactment shall not prevent any person from wearing any uniform or dress in the course of a stage play performed in a place duly licensed or authorised for the public performance of stage plays, or in the course of any bona fide military representation. 

(2) Any person who contravenes this section is liable to a fine of two hundred dollars. 

(3) Any person not serving in the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force who wears, without the Minister’s permission, the uniform of any member of those Forces, or any dress having the appearance or bearing any of the regimental or other distinctive marks of any such uniform, in such a manner or under such circumstances as to be likely to bring contempt upon that uniform, or employs any other person so to wear that uniform or dress, he shall be liable to a fine of four hundred dollars.

  

Defence Force Act 1962, as amended

219. A person, other than a member of the Defence Force, who without lawful excuse (the proof whereof shall lie on him)—

(a) wears the uniform or any portion of the uniforms of a member of the Defence Force; or

(b) wears any costume or any article of clothing or apparel so closely resembling the uniform or any portion thereof of a member of the Defence Force, as may cause such person to be mistaken for a member of the Defence Force, is liable on summary conviction to a fine of one thousand dollars and to imprisonment for eighteen months.

Customs Act 1938, as amended

213. Any person who—

(a) imports or brings or is concerned in importing or bringing into Trinidad and Tobago any prohibited goods, or any goods the importation of which is restricted, contrary to such prohibition or restriction, whether the goods are unloaded or not;

(b) unloads, or assists or is otherwise concerned in unloading any goods which are prohibited, or any goods which are restricted and are imported contrary to such restriction; 

(c) knowingly harbours, keeps or conceals, or knowingly permits or suffers, or causes or procures to be harboured, kept or concealed any prohibited, restricted or un-customed goods;

(d) knowingly acquires possession of or is in any way knowingly concerned in carrying, removing, depositing, concealing, or in any manner dealing with any goods with intent to defraud the State of any duties thereon, or to evade any prohibition or restriction of or applicable to the goods;

(e) is in any way knowingly concerned in any fraudulent evasion or attempt at evasion of any import or export duties of Customs, or of the laws and restrictions of the Customs relating to the importation, unloading, warehousing, delivery, removal, loading and exportation of goods;

(f) sells, offers for sale or exposes for sale any goods which he knows to be prohibited or restricted, shall, notwithstanding sections 248 and 249, incur a penalty—

(i) on summary conviction in the case of a first offence, to a fine of fifty thousand dollars or treble the value of the goods, whichever is the greater, and to imprisonment for a term of eight years;

(ii) on summary conviction in the case of a second or subsequent offence, to a fine of one hundred thousand dollars or treble the value of the goods, whichever is the greater, and to imprisonment for a term of fifteen years; and

(iii) on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term of twenty years.