Department Information
Contact Numbers: (868) 612-9367
The Legal Unit provides instrumental supportive Legal Services to the Ministry’s Executive Management, Heads of Department and other key Ministry Personnel on all legal and relevant administrative matters, ensuring the fundamental principles/ pillars of transparency, equality, fairness, Natural Justice, accountability, integrity and value for money are upheld.
Main functions
The Legal Unit has the primary areas of responsibility to:
- Protect/defend the Ministry from legal liability and provide support for the Ministry’s mission, vision, goals and programmes in order for the Ministry to effectively fulfil its mandate.
- Liaise with key stakeholders in the Public and Private Sectors, including its agency, the Sport Company of Trinidad and Tobago (SporTT), with respect to the conduct of legal matters of the Ministry, where applicable/necessary.
- Provide pivotal support in the realisation of the Ministry’s Legislative Agenda.
- Safeguard the Ministry through assisting the Procurement Unit and other Units/Divisions within the Ministry to comply with the relevant procurement and other Laws, Regulations and approved Policies.
Roles and Responsibilities
The Legal Unit reports to the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs.
Some of the Roles and Responsibilities of the Legal Unit include:
- Litigation- Represent the Ministry in Court (High Court and Industrial Court) and before the Public Service Commission’s Disciplinary Tribunals and Conciliations at the Ministry of Labour, Small and Micro Enterprise Development.
- Advice- Advise the Ministry’s Executive and Heads of Department/ key personnel on legal issues relating to the administration, interpretation and enforcement of Laws, Regulations and Policies relative to the Ministry’s operations.
- Provide legal opinions and briefs in respect of complex legal issues.
- Prepare instructions for submissions to State central legal agencies on legal litigation matters involving the Ministry which entails liaising with the Ministries of the Attorney General and Legal Affairs (Solicitor General’s Department and the Chief State Solicitor’s Department) and Office of the Chief Personnel Officer (Personnel Department).
- Perform court cases preparation work such as interviewing witnesses, taking depositions and preparing trial briefs and draft pleadings and statements for filing.
- Conduct in depth legal research and analysis and reports on legal matters pertinent to the Ministry’s operations.
- Conduct and participate in negotiations/consultations, conciliations, Mediation with external/ internal parties as member of a team or individually.
- Participate in or conduct the review of existing legislation, Rules and Regulations and policies related to the Ministry (or other Ministries when assistance is sought to provide feedback for proposed legislation/policy, when necessary) and recommends appropriate amendments.
- Represent the Ministry on committees (including the Procurement and Disposal Advisory Committee [PDAC])), workshops, meetings & other fora.
- Prepare/ assist with the preparation of Cabinet Notes, memoranda, letters and other documents on legal matters.
- Prepare/draft and reviewing all contracts/agreements, memoranda which the Permanent Secretary is a party to.
- Assist with the Legislative Agenda (liaise with Office of Chief Parliamentary Counsel and Legislative Review Committee).
- Assist the Ministry’s Designated Officer under the Freedom of Information Act as well as vets the relevant responses to the request for information pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, Chapter 22:02.
- Update the Unit’s Contracts Database.
