Trinity Cross

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Trinity Cross
Trinity Cross in gold
Type	Three class distinguished service decoration
Awarded for	distinguished and outstanding service to Trinidad and Tobago. Also awarded for gallantry in the face of the enemy, or for gallant conduct.
Presented by	Trinidad and Tobago
Eligibility	Nationals and Non-Nationals
Post-nominals	TC
Status	no longer awarded since 2006
Established	1969
Last awarded	2005
Ribbon bar of the award
Precedence
Next (higher)	Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago (since 2008)
Next (lower)	Chaconia Medal

The Trinity Cross (abbreviated T.C. or TC) was the highest of the

(abbreviated O.R.T.T.) in the year 2008.

Controversy

The name of the award has been criticised as being discriminatory against non-Christians (since it used the Christian symbol of the cross).

Prime Minister Dr.

declined to go on record in favour of renaming the award, but allowed that he lacked "any strong feelings one way or the other."

In 1995 the Dharmacharya (spiritual head of the Hindu organization, Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha) Pandit Krishna Maharaj, refused to accept the Trinity Cross from Prime Minister Patrick Manning, for his social work on the grounds that it did not represent a true national award involving all religious denominations of Trinidad and Tobago.

In 1997, a cabinet appointed committee was appointed to look at the issue of the Trinity Cross. The committee was chaired by the then Chief Justice, Mr. Justice Michael de la Bastide; recommendations included encouragement of public consultation on the matter, and the suggestion that "The Order of Trinidad & Tobago" should be considered as "the Trinity Cross...was perceived as a Christian symbol" in this multi-religious society.

In June 2005, High Court Action 2065 of 2004 was heard before Mr. Justice

, attorneys for the applicants, argued that the State kept the Trinity Cross, knowing that "non-Christians are unable and unwilling to accept (it) because it is perceived to be and/or in fact is a Christian symbol." The result is an experience of disparate treatment, or unfair discrimination, for "many deserving non-Christian citizens who...will never be rewarded by the State and country."

In May 2006, Mr. Justice Jamadar, an ordained Presbyterian minister, ruled that "the Trinity Cross – the nation's highest award – is strictly a Christian symbol, and as a result, it discriminates in a multi-religious society.... In my opinion, leaving aside the savings clause argument for the moment, the respondent has shown no accommodation whatsoever to ameliorate the indirect adverse discriminating effects of the award of the Trinity Cross on the applicants as Hindus and Muslims and as corporate citizens representing Hindus and Muslims in T&T." Although he found it to be discriminatory, he said that it does not mean that the court can strike it down. As it was protected by the 1976 Constitution, it was a matter for the Parliament to change.^[1]

Prime Minister Patrick Manning said in Parliament on 2 June 2006, that the Trinity Cross "will pass into history and this year's National Awards will be conducted on the basis of new and more acceptable arrangements." Manning added that his Cabinet has established a committee, led by UWI history professor Bridget Brereton, to review all aspects of the nation’s highest award and also to examine "such other national symbols and observances which may be considered discriminatory." This led to the creation of a new replacement highest award the Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, which was first presented in 2008.

Recipients

References

External links

• Image of the Trinity Cross
• List of persons conferred with the Trinity Cross
• Sat Maharaj, "An award for all" (Editorial), The Trinidad Guardian, 7 May 2003.

• Statement by Roman Catholic Archbishop Edward Gilbert on the Trinity Cross issue
• "THE TRINITY CROSS". National Awards, NALIS.