Trinity Cross for President Max Richards

President Professor Max Richards is about to receive the nation’s highest award, the Trinity Cross. Richards, as Chancellor of the Order, is to receive the honour “before August 31,” highly placed sources confirmed yesterday.

The award would be conferred by the Chief Justice. There is the strong likelihood that the President will be the only recipient of the Trinity Cross, sources said. Richards conferment ceremony would precede the national awards ceremony. The tradition has developed for all Presidents to be accorded the Trinity Cross  based on the thinking that as the nation’s “first citizen” it is only appropriate that they should be bestowed with this award. Every President therefore has been given the Trinity Cross while in office. Sir Ellis Clarke was already a recipient for distinguished service prior to his assumption to office. In fact, he was among the first group of TC recipients — which included HOB Wooding, Finbar Ryan and others — when the national awards were first instituted in 1966.

When Arthur N R Robinson received his award in October 1997, then Chief Justice Michael De La Bastide said there were two bases on which the President received the TC — he received it on the basis of merit, and by virtue of office. “As the Chancellor of the Order it would be a little harder for him not to be a holder of the Trinity Cross,” De La Bastide then stated. The national awards are given in the name of the President. The Chief Justice as Chairman of the Awards Committee sends recommendations which are made by members of the public to the Prime Minister, who submits a list, as amended by him (the Prime Minister) to the President. The President, acting on the advice of the Prime Minister, make the awards. On Independence Day all the recipients of the national awards are formally presented with their medals by the Head of  State. Richards, a former Principal of the St Augustine Campus of the UWI became the President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago in March this year.