LYNETTE ANTHEA STEPHENSON, S.C. was Trinidad and Tobago’s third Ombudsman.
Following her appointment by the President, she was sworn in by the Speaker of the House of Representatives on February 20, 2006. Ms. Stephenson has had a long and distinguished career in the public service of Trinidad & Tobago, having served, between 1976 and 1996, in several legal capacities from State Counsel II to Deputy Solicitor General. She was appointed as this country’s Solicitor General in 1996 with her appointment as Ombudsman in 2006.
Ms. Stephenson was trained as a teacher at the Mausica Teacher’s College in Trinidad and Tobago. She is the holder of a M.A. Business Law Degree and a LL.B (Hons.) Lond. Ms. Stephenson is a Barrister and Attorney-at-law and a Member of the Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn, England. She was the Regional President for the Latin American and Caribbean Region, International Ombudsman Institute (IOI) and a Member of the Board of Directors, IOI.
She has also held directorships on the boards of state-owned companies including National Fisheries Company Ltd., Trinidad and Tobago Meat Processors Ltd. and the Petroleum Company of Trinidad and Tobago Ltd.
In addition, Ms. Stephenson served as a member of key Cabinet-appointed committees, including the Standing Committee on Negotiation of Bilateral Air Services Agreements, the Trinidad and Tobago Steering Committee on the Unitization of Cross-border Hydrocarbon Reservoirs and as a member of the team to negotiate a new Shareholders Agreement between Telecommunication Services of Trinidad and Tobago and Cable and Wireless West Indies.
Ms. Stephenson attained the status of Senior Counsel in November 2000. She believes the Office of the Ombudsman plays a vital role in protecting the rights of individuals ‘because it gives people the reassurance that someone in authority is seeking their interest.’
