Noor Hassanali
Encyclopedia
Noor Mohamed Hassanali,TC
(August 13, 1918 – August 25, 2006) was the second President
of the Republic
of Trinidad and Tobago
(1987 to 1997). A retired High Court judge, President Hassanali was the first Indo-Trinidadian
to hold the office of President
and was the first Muslim
head of state
in the Americas
. The sixth of seven children, Hassanali was born in San Fernando
and was educated at Canaan and Corinth Canadian Mission (now Presbyterian) Primary Schools and Naparima College
. After graduating he taught at Naparima from 1938 to 1943. In 1943 he travelled to Canada
, where he studied at the University of Toronto
. While in Canada he served as a member of the Canadian Officers Training Corps from 1943 until the end of the war in 1945. He was called to the bar at Gray's Inn
in London
in 1948.
Noor Hassanali worked as a lawyer
in private practice from 1948 to 1953, when he was appointed as a Magistrate
. In 1960 he was appointed Senior Magistrate and later that year was appointed Senior Crown Counsel in Attorney General
's Chambers. In 1965 he was appointed Assistant Solicitor General
and the following year he was appointed Judge
of the High Court. In 1978 he was appointed to the Court of Appeal and retired on April 14, 1985. He was elected President
in 1987 following elections which brought the National Alliance for Reconstruction
(NAR) to government. Although the office of President was largely ceremonial (similar to that of Governor General before the country became a republic) he was such a popular national figure that he was re-elected in 1992 by the People's National Movement
(PNM) administration.
Hassanali was described as "one of the most neutral, reserved, and dignified figures in the history of T&T politics". When he was inaugurated as President in 1987 he was described as "a person of impeccable credentials who has a reputation for honesty and humility of the highest order." As a Muslim, Hassanali chose not to serve alcoholic beverages at President's House. Despite reservations on the part of then-Prime Minister A.N.R. Robinson, the decision was never seen as controversial by the public.
He was married to Zalayhar Mohammed and had two children, Khalid
and Amena Hassanali-Sutton. Together with his brothers, Noor Hassanali was an avid and skillful footballer
, playing both for Naparima College and for his club Spitfire. In 2003 he published a book of his speeches entitled Teaching Words in conjunction with the Naps Charitable Foundation. His brother, Fyzul Hassanali has written two books on cricket
. His cousins include Manny Ramjohn
who was an Olympic long-distance runner, and Dr. Jean Ramjohn-Richards
, First Lady
of Trinidad and Tobago and wife of its fourth President, Professor George Maxwell Richards
.
Hassanali succeeded acting president Michael Williams (who in turn had succeeded Ellis Clarke
(1976–1987) and was himself succeeded by Arthur N.R. Robinson
(President 1997–2003).
He died in the early hours of the morning of August 25, 2006.
Trinity Cross
The Trinity Cross was the highest of the National Awards of Trinidad and Tobago, between the years 1969– 2008. It was awarded for: distinguished and outstanding service to Trinidad and Tobago...
(August 13, 1918 – August 25, 2006) was the second President
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
of the Republic
Republic
A republic is a form of government in which the people, or some significant portion of them, have supreme control over the government and where offices of state are elected or chosen by elected people. In modern times, a common simplified definition of a republic is a government where the head of...
of Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
(1987 to 1997). A retired High Court judge, President Hassanali was the first Indo-Trinidadian
Indo-Trinidadian
Indo-Trinidadian and Tobagonian are nationals of Trinidad and Tobago of Indian or other South Asian ancestry.Indo-Trinidadian and Tobagonians has now become interchangeable with Indians or East Indians. These were people who were taken from India by the British either as workers or educated...
to hold the office of President
President of Trinidad and Tobago
The President of Trinidad and Tobago is the head of state of Trinidad and Tobago, and the commander in chief of its armed forces. The office was established when the country became a republic in 1976, before which the head of state was Queen Elizabeth II...
and was the first Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
head of state
Head of State
A head of state is the individual that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state. His or her role generally includes legitimizing the state and exercising the political powers, functions, and duties granted to the head of...
in the Americas
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
. The sixth of seven children, Hassanali was born in San Fernando
San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago
The City of San Fernando with a population of 55,419 according to the 2000 census, is the larger of Trinidad and Tobago's two cities and the second largest municipality after Chaguanas. It occupies 18 km² and is located in the southwestern part of the island of Trinidad...
and was educated at Canaan and Corinth Canadian Mission (now Presbyterian) Primary Schools and Naparima College
Naparima College
Naparima College is a secondary school for teenaged males in Trinidad and Tobago. Located in San Fernando, the school was founded in 1894, but did not receive official recognition until 1900. The was established by Dr. Kenneth J. Grant, a Canadian Presbyterian missionary working among the Indian...
. After graduating he taught at Naparima from 1938 to 1943. In 1943 he travelled to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, where he studied at the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
. While in Canada he served as a member of the Canadian Officers Training Corps from 1943 until the end of the war in 1945. He was called to the bar at Gray's Inn
Gray's Inn
The Honourable Society of Gray's Inn, commonly known as Gray's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court in London. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wales, an individual must belong to one of these Inns...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1948.
Noor Hassanali worked as a lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
in private practice from 1948 to 1953, when he was appointed as a Magistrate
Magistrate
A magistrate is an officer of the state; in modern usage the term usually refers to a judge or prosecutor. This was not always the case; in ancient Rome, a magistratus was one of the highest government officers and possessed both judicial and executive powers. Today, in common law systems, a...
. In 1960 he was appointed Senior Magistrate and later that year was appointed Senior Crown Counsel in Attorney General
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
's Chambers. In 1965 he was appointed Assistant Solicitor General
Solicitor
Solicitors are lawyers who traditionally deal with any legal matter including conducting proceedings in courts. In the United Kingdom, a few Australian states and the Republic of Ireland, the legal profession is split between solicitors and barristers , and a lawyer will usually only hold one title...
and the following year he was appointed Judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
of the High Court. In 1978 he was appointed to the Court of Appeal and retired on April 14, 1985. He was elected President
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
in 1987 following elections which brought the National Alliance for Reconstruction
National Alliance for Reconstruction
The National Alliance for Reconstruction was the governing party in Trinidad and Tobago between 1986 and 1991.-History:The party was established in 1986, aiming to be a multi-racial party...
(NAR) to government. Although the office of President was largely ceremonial (similar to that of Governor General before the country became a republic) he was such a popular national figure that he was re-elected in 1992 by the People's National Movement
People's National Movement
The People's National Movement is the present-day opposition political party in Trinidad and Tobago. Founded in 1955 by Eric Williams, it won the 1956 General Elections and went on to hold power for an unbroken 30 years. After the death of Williams in 1981 George Chambers led the party...
(PNM) administration.
Hassanali was described as "one of the most neutral, reserved, and dignified figures in the history of T&T politics". When he was inaugurated as President in 1987 he was described as "a person of impeccable credentials who has a reputation for honesty and humility of the highest order." As a Muslim, Hassanali chose not to serve alcoholic beverages at President's House. Despite reservations on the part of then-Prime Minister A.N.R. Robinson, the decision was never seen as controversial by the public.
He was married to Zalayhar Mohammed and had two children, Khalid
Khalid Hassanali
Khalid Hassanali, son of former President of Trinidad and Tobago, Noor Hassanali, is a Vice-President for Corporate Administrative Services at Petrotrin, the Petroleum Company of Trinidad and Tobago...
and Amena Hassanali-Sutton. Together with his brothers, Noor Hassanali was an avid and skillful footballer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
, playing both for Naparima College and for his club Spitfire. In 2003 he published a book of his speeches entitled Teaching Words in conjunction with the Naps Charitable Foundation. His brother, Fyzul Hassanali has written two books on cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
. His cousins include Manny Ramjohn
Manny Ramjohn
Manny Ramjohn was an athlete from Trinidad and Tobago, born in San Fernando, and educated at Naparima College in San Fernando....
who was an Olympic long-distance runner, and Dr. Jean Ramjohn-Richards
Jean Ramjohn-Richards
Dr. Jean Ramjohn-Richards is the First Lady of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and a medical doctor. She was born in San Fernando and was educated at Naparima Girls' High School and Naparima College before attending medical school in Ireland. She is married to President George Maxwell...
, First Lady
First Lady
First Lady or First Gentlemanis the unofficial title used in some countries for the spouse of an elected head of state.It is not normally used to refer to the spouse or partner of a prime minister; the husband or wife of the British Prime Minister is usually informally referred to as prime...
of Trinidad and Tobago and wife of its fourth President, Professor George Maxwell Richards
George Maxwell Richards
George Maxwell Richards, TC, CM is the fourth President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. A chemical engineer by training, Richards was Principal of the St. Augustine Campus of the University of the West Indies in Trinidad in 1996. He previously worked for Shell Trinidad Ltd. before...
.
Hassanali succeeded acting president Michael Williams (who in turn had succeeded Ellis Clarke
Ellis Clarke
Sir Ellis Emmanuel Innocent Clarke, TC, GCMG was the second and last Governor-General of Trinidad and Tobago and the first President of Trinidad and Tobago. Clarke was one of the main architects of Trinidad and Tobago's 1962 Independence constitution.Clarke attended Saint Mary's College, winning...
(1976–1987) and was himself succeeded by Arthur N.R. Robinson
A. N. R. Robinson
Arthur Napoleon Raymond Robinson, OCC, TC was the third President of Trinidad and Tobago, serving from 19 March 1997 to 17 March 2003. He was also Trinidad and Tobago's third Prime Minister, serving in that capacity from 18 December 1986 to 17 December 1991...
(President 1997–2003).
He died in the early hours of the morning of August 25, 2006.