Honorific-Prefix: | The Honourable |
Bridgid Annisette-George | |
Office: | Speaker of the House of Representatives |
Term Start: | 23 September 2015 |
Predecessor: | Wade Mark |
Primeminister: | Keith Rowley |
President: | Christine Kangaloo Paula-Mae Weekes Anthony Carmona |
Order1: | Attorney General |
Term Start1: | 8 November 2007 |
Term End1: | 29 May 2009 |
Predecessor1: | John Jeremie |
Successor1: | John Jeremie |
Primeminister1: | Patrick Manning |
President1: | George Maxwell Richards |
Party: | People's National Movement |
Nationality: | Trinidadian and Tobagonian |
Birth Name: | Bridgid Annisette |
Alma Mater: | University of the West Indies Hugh Wooding Law School |
Bridgid Annisette-George is a Trinidadian lawyer and politician. She has been the Speaker of House of Representatives of Trinidad and Tobago since 2015, the second female to hold the position and currently the world's second longest female incumbent to consecutively hold the office of Speaker. She previously served as a Senator and the third female Attorney General of Trinidad and Tobago for the PNM[1] before resigning to return to her private law practice.
Annisette was born in Trinidad and attended St. Joseph's Convent, Port of Spain in Port of Spain[2] and went on to study law at the University of the West Indies. She graduated with a Bachelors of Law in 1981.[3] Annisette married Newman George, an engineer.[4]
George became an associate tutor and lecturer at the Hugh Wooding Law School and the sole practicing attorney at the firm of Messrs. G.R. Annisette & Co. Between 1999 and 2003, George served as chair of the Diego Martin Regional Corporation and in 2003, served as a Commissioner on the Trinidad and Tobago Securities and Exchange Commission. In 2007, she was appointed as a Senator[5] and 8 November 2007 became Attorney General, third woman of Trinidad and Tobago to hold the position. After serving eighteen months in the position, George resigned due to a conflict of interest in an ongoing investigation concerning the Colonial Life Insurance Company, as she had family members who were associated with the company. She was commended for her voluntary disclosure by colleagues[6] and it was noted that there was no implication of involvement by George or her family members in the matter involving Colonial Life.[7] She returned to her private practice.[8]
In 2015, the People's National Movement won the majority in the elections and George was tapped to run for Speaker of the House.[9] She was subsequently elected to the post.[10]