Senate Unanimously Approves Bill To Digitise T&T’s Laws
Accessing the laws of Trinidad and Tobago could soon become easier and more modern.
This comes as the Law Revision (Amendment) Bill, 2026, was unanimously approved in the Senate on Tuesday.
While legislation can be accessed online, those versions are not considered legally authoritative.
Minister of Land and Legal Affairs, Saddam Hosein, explained that only the large bound volumes are presently recognised as the official versions of the law.
He said the Law Revision (Amendment) Bill, 2026, will change that, allowing verified digital copies to carry the same legal weight.
« We are just going to make the laws of Trinidad and Tobago be made available online as official versions of the law. Mr. President, I could say that and take my seat, and I know I can get the support of this house. Currently, all of us, all of us, Mr. President, we go online, we download the versions of the law that are available online, but, Mr. President, they are not the official versions of the law. »
The Bill seeks to make online versions of the country’s laws officially recognised, replacing the long-standing reliance on printed volumes.
Minister Hosein added that the move will save taxpayers millions of dollars.
« Because these binders are expensive. The papers are, the paper is expensive. And Mr. President, when I went into the Law Revision Commission, I asked them, I started to inquire about this particular process. We make our laws locally. The Parliament, this is the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. But do you know our laws are printed abroad? Our laws are not printed locally. Our laws are printed abroad. »
Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister, Darrell Allahar, stressed the importance of the Bill, noting that outdated online legislation can deter foreign investors.
« When investors come here and they can’t get a clear view of the law, it undermines confidence in our legal system, Mr. President. And for 10 years, somebody on the outside looking in would wonder, we can’t get a straight answer as to what the law is here. We have to go through all of these hoops and all of these hurdles to get an answer as to what the law is »
The Law Revision (Amendment) Bill, 2026, was unanimously approved in the Senate, with all 30 members voting in favour.
