About Us
Our Executives
The Minister of Justice
The Honourable Devesh Maharaj
Permanent Secretaries
Trudy Lewis
Ayanna Clarke
Permanent Secretary
Permanent Secretary (Ag) Trudy Lewis has served for 25 years in the Public Service. She previously served as Deputy Permanent Secretary (DPS), Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Legal Affairs from 2023 to 2025. As DPS, Ms. Lewis had oversight of various portfolios including Human Resources, Procurement, General Administration, Communications and Facilities Management.
An economist by training, Ms. Lewis has spent 22 years at the Ministry of Trade and Industry, starting as an Economist I in 2000 and succeeding as Assistant Director, Trade Promotion and Development (Ag) in the Trade Directorate. During that time, she honed her skills in disciplines related to trade in goods and services, CARICOM and World Trade Organization issues and trade negotiations. In her tenure at the Ministry of Trade and Industry she participated and led negotiations on partial scope trade negotiations with Panama, Guatemala, El Salvador and Chile. Ms. Lewis has a MSc. degree in International Trade Policy (within distinction) from the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill campus and a BSc. degree in Economics from the St. Augustine campus.
Permanent Secretary
Ms Ayanna Clarke is Permanent Secretary (Ag) at the Ministry of Justice. In this capacity she provides strategic leadership and oversight for Programmes and Projects, Corporate Communications, General Administration ensuring the effective delivery of services and the advancement of the organization’s strategic objectives.
Prior to this role she served as Deputy Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education where she contributed to the management and execution of key national initiatives.
Ms Clarke is a public sector professional with more than twenty years, in the public and state enterprise sector with experience in public policy, research, project management, monitoring and evaluation and procurement. She is recognized for her results-oriented approach and commitment to public services excellence.
She holds a Msc. Public Sector Management, University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus and a Bachelor of Science in Economics, with a minor in Management Information Systems, from the University of the West Indies and has undertaken professional development in several areas. She has also pursued extensive professional development in several areas and holds the Project Management Professional (PMP), designation from the Project Management Institute (PMI).
Ms. Clarke remains dedicated to strengthening institutional performance, promoting sound administration, and advancing initiatives that support national development and improved public service delivery.
Deputy Permanent Secretary
Fran Chaitoo-Jacob
Deputy Permanent Secretary
Deputy Permanent Secretary Mrs. Fran Chaitoo-Jacob is a seasoned public service professional with over 25 years of distinguished service. Throughout her career, she has held a range of roles across several government ministries, demonstrating strong leadership and administrative expertise. Prior to her current assignment at the Ministry of Justice, she served briefly as Director of Corporate Services at the former Ministry of Tourism, Culture and the Arts. She also spent a significant period within the Human Resources Management Unit at the Ministry of Public Utilities, contributing in various capacities.
Mrs. Chaitoo-Jacob has dedicated the majority of her career to the Ministry of Finance, where she gained extensive experience across clerical, administrative, and technical functions.
She holds a Certificate in Human Resource Management, a Bachelor of Science in Management Studies, and a Graduate Diploma in Public Sector Management. In addition to her professional accomplishments, she is actively engaged in community service through outreach initiatives organized by religious institutions.
Her overarching goal is to contribute meaningfully to the continuous development of the Public Service, enhancing efficiency and the quality of service delivery to stakeholders, and ultimately supporting national development in Trinidad and Tobago.
Mrs. Chaitoo-Jacob is a self-motivated and forward-thinking professional who values innovation, embraces technological advancement, and is committed to continuous professional growth while contributing effectively as a collaborative team member.
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