Professor Hamid Ghany

Professor of Constitutional Affairs and Parliamentary Studies and Honorary Professor of The UWI with an attachment to SALISES

Focus:

Constitutional Affairs and Parliamentary Studies

Email:

hamid.ghany@sta.uwi.edu

Tel:

(868)662-2002 Ext. 82037

Fax:

(868) 645-6329

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Bio

Professor Hamid Ghany a former Director of the Sir Arthur Lewis Institute for Social and Economic Studies (SALISES) (October, 2017 to September, 2021). Prior to that, Professor Ghany was a Senior Lecturer in Political Science in the Department of Political Science as well as a former Head of the Department of Behavioural Sciences (1999-2003) and a former Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences at The UWI, St. Augustine (2003-2012).

He has a Bachelor of Arts degree from The University of the West Indies (1978); a Master of Arts degree in Political Science from Fordham University, New York, USA (1982); and, a Ph.D. degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science, University of London, England in Constitutional Law and Government (1987).

He was the recipient of Trinidad and Tobago’s second highest national award, the Chaconia Medal (Gold), for “long and meritorious service to Trinidad and Tobago” as an Educator in the field of Education on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the independence of Trinidad and Tobago in 2012.

His public service over the years has been extensive. He has served on two Constitution Commissions of Trinidad and Tobago (1988-1990) and (2013-2014) and chaired the Public Consultations on (i) Constitution Reform for the late Prime Minister Patrick Manning (2009-2010) on whose Round Table on Constitution Reform he sat (2008-2010) and (ii) for former Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar on the grant of Internal Self-Government for Tobago (2012). Previously, he had served as a member of the Tobago House of Assembly Technical Team for discussions with the Central Government under the chairmanship of the late Karl Hudson-Phillips, Q.C. (1992-1995). He also served as Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves' representative on the Drafting Committee for the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Draft Constitution in 2009 (together with Dr. Francis Alexis, Q.C.) and he served as an adviser to the late Madam Justice Suzie D’Auvergne, Chairperson of the St. Lucia Constitution Reform Commission (2010-2011).

Among his many publications, he has authored ‘Constitutional Development in the Commonwealth Caribbean’ (2018: Ian Randle Publishers, Kingston and Miami, xxxi+157 pp.) ‘Remapping the Americas’ (2014: Ashgate, Surrey and Burlington, xxxiii+395 pp.) with W. Andy Knight and Julián Castro-Rea; ‘Kamal: A Lifetime of Politics, Religion and Culture’ (1996); a Monograph ‘Changing our Constitution’ (2009) and edited The W. Arthur Lewis Reader (2019 : Ian Randle Publishers, Kingston and Miami, viii+138 pp.) as well as several book chapters and also articles in the Journal of Legislative Studies, the International Journal of Human Rights, and the Caribbean Journal of Criminology and Social Psychology among others. He has also presented several papers at international conferences on the subjects of constitutional affairs and parliamentary studies.

In 2014, he was awarded a research grant from the Magna Carta 800th Anniversary Committee in the United Kingdom to lead a research project on 'Magna Carta in the Commonwealth Caribbean' in 2015 in celebration of the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta.

Dr. Ghany is married to Marilyn (nee Mc Kinstry).

Publications

Scholarly Peer-reviewed Books

1. Ghany, Hamid (Ed.). 2019. The W. Arthur Lewis Reader (Ian Randle Publishers, Kingston and Miami, viii+138 pp.)

2. Ghany, Hamid. 2018. Constitutional Development in the Commonwealth Caribbean. Ian Randle Publishers, Kingston and Miami. xxxi & 157 pp.

3. Knight, W. Andy; Castro-Rea, Julián; and Ghany, Hamid.
2014. Re-mapping the Americas. Ashgate, Surrey, England and Burlington, VT, USA. xxxii & 395 pp.

4. Browne, David; Ghany, Hamid; Lochan, Samuel; Mohammed, Jennifer and Worrell, Patricia. 2001. Readings in Caribbean Studies. Caribbean Examinations Council, Jamaica. 217 pp.

(ii) Scholarly Book

1. Ghany, Hamid. 1996 . KAMAL : A Lifetime of Politics, Religion and Culture. St. Augustine, Multimedia Production Centre, St. Augustine, Trinidad. 652 pp.

(iii) Book

1. Ghany, Hamid. 2018. WITH SATISFACTION AND THANKS-RUPERT INDAR : Celebrating a Son of San Fernando. Paria Publishing, Trinidad. xii + 168 pp.

(iv) Scholarly Monograph

1. Ghany, Hamid. 2009. Changing Our Constitution. The Constitutional Affairs and Parliamentary Studies Unit, U.W.I., St. Augustine, Trinidad and The Draft Constitution Secretariat, Office of the Prime Minister, Trinidad and Tobago. 54 pp.

(v) Scholarly Guest Edited Publication

1. Trinidad and Tobago : Fifty Years of Independence, Official Publication of the Government of Trinidad and Tobago. 31st August, 2012. FIRST Magazine, 56 Haymarket, London, SW1, United Kingdom. 192 pp.

(vi) Teaching Manual

1. Ghany, Hamid. 2010. FOUN 1301 : Law, Governance, Economy and Society. University of the West Indies, Open Campus. Trinidad. 238 pp.

(vii) Scholarly Refereed Book Chapters

1. Ghany, Hamid. 2020. Constitutional Design in the Commonwealth Caribbean. Ch. 2, pp. 47-78, in The Oxford Handbook of Caribbean Constitutions (Eds. Richard Albert, Derek O'Brien and Se-shauna Wheatle)(Oxford University Press, Oxford and New York).

2. Ghany, Hamid. 2016. Chambers, George Michael. In Dictionary of Caribbean and Afro-Latin American Biography, Franklin Knight and Henry Louis Gates Jr. (Eds.) Oxford University Press, New York : Vol. 2, pp. 125-127.

3. Ghany, Hamid. 2016. Clarke, Ellis Emmanuel Innocent. In Dictionary of Caribbean and Afro-Latin American Biography, Franklin Knight and Henry Louis Gates Jr. (Eds.) Oxford University Press, New York : Vol. 2, pp. 167-169.

4. Ghany, Hamid. 2016. Robinson, Arthur Napoleon Raymond. In Dictionary of Caribbean and Afro-Latin American Biography, Franklin Knight and Henry Louis Gates Jr. (Eds.) Oxford University Press, New York : Vol. 5, pp. 322-324.

5. Knight, W. Andy; Castro-Rea, Julian; and Ghany, Hamid. 2014. Re-mapping the Americas : Introduction. In Re-mapping the Americas. Ashgate, Surrey, England and Burlington, VT, USA : Chapter 1, pp. 3 – 37.

6. Ghany, Hamid. 2014. The Constitutional and Political Aspects of Strategic Culture in Trinidad and Tobago. In Re-mapping the Americas. Ashgate, Surrey, England and Burlington, VT, USA : Chapter 11, pp. 231 – 239.

7. Knight, W. Andy; Castro-Rea, Julian; and Ghany, Hamid. 2014. Re-mapping the Americas : Conclusions. In Re-mapping the Americas. Ashgate, Surrey, England and Burlington, VT, USA : pp. 307 – 338.

8. Ghany, Hamid. January 2013. The Commonwealth Caribbean. In Legislatures of Small States : A Comparative Study, Nicholas Baldwin (Ed.), Routledge, London : Chapter 3, pp. 23-34.

9. Ghany, Hamid. July 2012. The relevance of the Senate in a modern democracy. In Evolution of a Nation: Trinidad and Tobago at Fifty. Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago. Hansib Publications, Hertford, United Kingdom : pp. 79-100.

10. Ghany, Hamid. 2006. Trinidad and Tobago. In Governments of the World: A Global Guide to Citizens' Rights and Responsibilities, ed. C. Neal Tate. Macmillan Reference, Detroit, MI, USA : pp. 200 - 201.

11. Ghany, Hamid. 2003. The Privy Council and the 1990 Insurrection in Trinidad and Tobago : Judicial Confusion and Implications for the Future. In Living at the Borderlines, ed. Cynthia Barrow-Giles and Don Marshall. Ian Randle Publishers, Kingston, Jamaica : 457 – 472.

12. Ghany, Hamid. 2001. Coalition Government and Crossing the Floor in an Ethnically-Mixed Caribbean State : Political Opportunism or a Formula for Unity ? In Issues in the Government and Politics of the West Indies, ed. John Gaffar La Guerre. Second Edition, School of Continuing Studies, U.W.I., St. Augustine, Trinidad : 317-331.

13. Ghany, Hamid. 2000. Parliament and Accountability and Scrutiny of Public Officials. In Policy Change, Governance and the New Public Management, ed. John Gaffar La Guerre. School of Continuing Studies, U.W.I., St. Augustine, Trinidad :18 -32.

14. Ghany, Hamid. 1997. The 1995 General Election and the Appointment of a Prime Minister. In The General Election of 1995 in Trinidad and Tobago, ed. John Gaffar La Guerre. School of Continuing Studies and the Department of Behavioural Sciences, U.W.I., St. Augustine, Trinidad :17 - 24.

15. Ghany, Hamid. 1997. Commonwealth Caribbean Presidencies : New Directions in the Exercise of State Power. In Issues in the Government and Politics of the West Indies, ed. John Gaffar La Guerre. School of Continuing Sudies, U.W.I., St. Augustine, Trinidad :142 - 166.

16. Ghany, Hamid. 1996. Trinidad : Accountability and Governance Issues. In Policy Reform For Sustainable Development in the Caribbean, eds. Michele Garrity and Louis Picard. I.O.S. Press, Amsterdam : 95 – 111.

17. Ghany, Hamid. 1996. Service Commissions : A Case for Reform. In Perspectives on the Future of Service Commissions in Trinidad and Tobago, Occasional Papers, No.1, Department of Government, UW.I., St. Augustine, Trinidad : 11 - 20.

18. Ghany, Hamid. 1996. The Challenge Facing Service Commissions. In Perspectives on the Future of Service Commissions in Trinidad and Tobago, Occasional Papers, No.1, Department of Government, UW.I., St. Augustine, Trinidad : 1 - 2.

19. Ghany, Hamid. 1993. Preventive Detention in Trinidad and Tobago. In Preventive Detention and Security Law, eds. Andrew Harding and John Hatchard. Martinus Nijhoff, The Netherlands : 259-264.

20. Ghany, Hamid. 1988. Parliament in Trinidad and Tobago 1962-1987 : The Whitehall Model at Work. In The Independence Experience, ed. Selwyn Ryan. I.S.E.R., U.W.I., St. Augustine, Trinidad : 175-192.

(viii) Scholarly Book Chapters

1. Ghany, Hamid. 2015. Regional Unity and Constitutional Reform. In Celebrating Excellence : The Sir Arthur Lewis Memorial Lectures 1999-2014, Nobel Laureate Week Committee, St. Lucia, National Printing Corporation, St. Lucia, pp. 97-111.

(ix) Scholarly Refereed Articles in Journals

1. Ghany, Hamid. 2020. Correcting Arend Lijphart's Hybrid VI : the case of Guyana. The Journal of Legislative Studies, 26 : (2), 314-327.

2. Hamid Ghany. 2016. Book Review of Critical Interventions in Caribbean Politics and Theory by Brian Meeks, University Press of Mississippi, Jackson, 2014. In New West Indian Guide, 90 : (3-4), 341-342.

3. Hamid Ghany. 2006. Parliamentary Deadlock and the Removal of the Prime Minister : Incumbency and Termination Theory in Trinidad and Tobago. The Journal of Legislative Studies, 12 : (1) 76 – 97.

4. Hamid Ghany. 2001. The Office of Leader of the Opposition : An Examination of the Whitehall Version in the Commonwealth Caribbean. The Journal of Legislative Studies, 7 : (2) 105 - 122.

5. Hamid Ghany. 2000. The Death Penalty, Human Rights and British Law Lords : Judicial Opinion on Delay of Execution in the Commonwealth Caribbean. The International Journal of Human Rights, 4 : (2) 30 - 43.

6. Hamid Ghany. 1999. Eric Williams and Bicameralism in Trinidad and Tobago. Caribbean Issues, 8 : (1) 92 - 130.

7. Hamid Ghany. 1999. The Evolution of the Power of Dissolution : The Ambiguity of Codifying Westminster Conventions in the Commonwealth Caribbean. The Journal of Legislative Studies, 5 : (1) 54 - 76.

8. Hamid Ghany. 1997. Eric Williams : The Constitutional Scholar and the Introduction of Bicameralism in Trinidad and Tobago. The Journal of Legislative Studies, 3 : (4) 92 - 114.

9. Ghany, Hamid. 1997. The Guerra, Henfield and Farrington Cases : Pratt and Morgan Refined or Revised. Caribbean Journal of Criminology and Social Psychology, 2 : (1) 64 - 76.

10. Ghany, Hamid. 1997. Parliamentary Crisis and the Removal of the Speaker : The Case of Trinidad and Tobago. The Journal of Legislative Studies, 3 : (2) 112 - 138.

11. Ghany, Hamid. 1996. The Death Penalty and the Privy Council. Caribbean Journal of Criminology and Social Psychology, 1 : (1) 108 - 120.

12. Ghany, Hamid. 1996. Constitutional Issues and Structural Adjustment : The Case of Trinidad and Tobago. Caribbean Issues, 7 : (1) 17 - 46.

13. Ghany, Hamid. 1994. The Creation of Legislative Institutions in the Commonwealth Caribbean : The Myth of the Transfer of the Westminster Model. Congressional Studies Journal 2 : (1 ) 34 - 49.

14. Ghany, Hamid. 1994. The Myth of the Westminster Model. Caribbean Affairs 7 : (3) 62 – 82.

(x) Other Scholarly Journal Articles and Book Chapters

1. Ghany, Hamid. 2009. Presiding Officers as the Head of State in Trinidad and Tobago : The Creation of a Westminster – Washington Hybrid. In Oaths of Allegiance : A Biographical Profile of the Heads of State of the Commonwealth Caribbean, ed. Albert Sydney. Sydney House, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad : xx – xxxvii.

2. Hamid Ghany. 2000. Constitutional Interpretation and Presidential Powers : The Case of Trinidad and Tobago. Caribbean Dialogue, 6 : (3 & 4) 23 - 40.

(xi) Technical Reports

1. Hamid Ghany, Prakash Ramadhar, Merle Hodge, Amrika Tiwary-Reddy, Carlos Dillon. 2013. Constitution Reform Commission of Trinidad and Tobago. 27th December, 2013. Report of the Constitution Reform Commission. Port-of-Spain, Trinidad

2. Francis Alexis, Q.C. (representative of the Speaker of the House of Assembly on the drafting committee) and Hamid Ghany (representative of the Prime Minister on the drafting committee). 2009. Constitution Bill 2009, Government Printer, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, 201 pp.

3. Tajmool Hosein, Q.C. and Hamid Ghany. 2006. A Constitution for Trinidad and Tobago, Principles of Fairness, Inc., Port-of-Spain, Trinidad (First Edition, March 2006, 155 pp.) (Second Edition, May 2006, 155 pp.) (Third Edition, October 2006, 159 pp.).

(xii) Scholarly Research Reports

1. Hamid Ghany. 2003. Parliament : What the Public Thinks. A Country Study Report on the Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago commissioned by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (C.P.A.), London, United Kingdom as part of a Parliamentary Studies Project involving the Parliaments of the State of Victoria, Australia; the National Parliament of Zambia; and the National Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago. The study was funded by the C.P.A., 2001 - 2003 and a copy delivered to the Honourable Speaker of the House of Representatives of Trinidad and Tobago on 25th July, 2003, 139 pp.

2. Hamid Ghany. 1998. The Validity of Bicameralism in Small Parliaments. Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, London, United Kingdom, Data Paper # 14, published at the request of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association for the information of delegates attending the 44th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference, Wellington, New Zealand, 6 pp.

(xiii) Other Publications

1. Hamid Ghany. 2004. Q.R.C. Past, Present and Future. In Q.R.C. 2004. Ed. Garth Alleyne. R.P.L. (1991) Ltd., La Romaine, Trinidad, 343 – 347.

2. Hamid Ghany. 1991. The Challenges Facing the Caribbean Media. Trincom '91, Inprint Caribbean Ltd., Trinidad, 10 - 13.

3. Over 1,600 Sunday column articles on constitutional, political and current affairs published in either the Sunday Guardian (1986-1993, 2002-2008 and since 2010) or the Sunday Newsday (1993-2002) in Trinidad and Tobago since 1986.

Projects

“The Visible Crown: Queen Elizabeth II and the Caribbean, 1952 to the present.” (awarded October 2020).
PI: Dr Anna Whitelock, Royal Holloway, University of London
Co-I: Dr Alice Hunt, University of Southampton; Dr Kate Quinn, University College London; Professor Philip Murphy, Institute of Commonwealth Studies; Cynthia Barrow-Giles, University of West Indies
Consultant to the Project : Professor Hamid Ghany, SALISES, The UWI, St. Augustine, Trinidad & Tobago

Standard Research Grant, 42 months, £810,308.16 [AHRC contribution]; Total Value of Award £975, 048

Hamid Ghany. 1st October, 2014. Awarded £20,000.00 Research Grant by the Magna Carta 800th Anniversary Committee to lead a research project entitled “The Relevance of the Magna Carta in the Commonwealth Caribbean in the 21st Century.”

Hamid Ghany. Commissioner. March 2013-July 2014 : Constitution Commission of Trinidad and Tobago chaired by the Minister of Legal Affairs, the Honourable Prakash Ramadhar, M.P.

Hamid Ghany. Chairman. June-August 2012 : Public consultations on Constitution Reform for the grant of Internal Self-government for Tobago at the request of former Prime Minister the Honourable Kamla Persad-Bissessar, S.C., M.P.

Hamid Ghany. Chairman. October 2009-April 2010 : Public consultations on Constitution Reform in Trinidad and Tobago at the request of the late former Prime Minister, the Honourable Patrick Manning, M.P. as part of a research project of the Constitutional Affairs and Parliamentary Studies Unit, University of the West Indies, St. Augustine.

Hamid Ghany. Member. March–November 2009 : Drafting Committee for the Preparation of a new Constitution for St.Vincent and the Grenadines (nominee of the Prime Minister Dr. the Honourable Ralph Gonsalves, M.P.).

Hamid Ghany. Member. January 2008–January 2009 : Prime Minister’s Round Table on Constitution Reform (chaired by the late former Prime Minister Patrick Manning).

Hamid Ghany. 2007–2012. Government of Trinidad and Tobago Research Grant. TT$75,000.00. Conducted and led research on a comparative assessment of public perceptions of Parliament in Trinidad and Tobago and in Dominica under a Government of Trinidad and Tobago Research Grant (in collaboration with Ph.D. candidate Mr. Maukesh Basdeo who earned his Ph.D. in 2014).

Hamid Ghany. Exclusive In-House Political Expert. September-November 2007 : Served as exclusive political commentator and in-house adviser for the Caribbean New Media Group (CNMG) with approval from the University of the West Indies Campus Senior Management for the general election held on 5th November, 2007.

Hamid Ghany. 2003. Parliament : What the Public Thinks. A Country Study Report on the Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago commissioned by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (C.P.A.), London, United Kingdom as part of a Parliamentary Studies Project involving the Parliaments of the State of Victoria, Australia; the National Parliament of Zambia; and the National Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago. The study was funded by the C.P.A., 2001 - 2003 and a copy delivered to the Honourable Speaker of the House of Representatives of Trinidad and Tobago on 25th July, 2003, 139 pp.

Sept. 2001–July 2003. Selected by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association in 2001 after competitive tender throughout the Commonwealth to participate in a research project entitled “Parliament : What the Public Thinks ?” This research project was sponsored by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association in collaboration with Monash University, Melbourne, Australia (Dr. Kenneth Coghill), the University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia (Dr. Bizek Phiri) and myself. It involved the Parliaments of Trinidad and Tobago, Zambia and the State of Victoria, Australia. This research was completed in July 2003. The country study for Trinidad and Tobago was submitted to the Honourable Barendra Sinanan, M.P., Speaker of the House of Representatives on 25th July, 2003.

Hamid Ghany. Chairman. January-April 1999 : Cabinet-approved Task Force whose primary mandate was "To formulate a Code of Ethics for the Public Service and to submit proposals for the establishment of an appropriate agency to address allegations of bribery and corruption in the Public Service."

Hamid Ghany. 1998. The Validity of Bicameralism in Small Parliaments. Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, London, United Kingdom, Data Paper # 14, published at the request of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association for the information of delegates attending the 44th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference, Wellington, New Zealand, 6 pp.

Hamid Ghany. Member. 1992-95 : Tobago House of Assembly Technical Team for the constitutional discussions with the Central Government of Trinidad and Tobago on the future constitutional status of Tobago in relation to Trinidad under the chairmanship of Mr. Karl Hudson-Phillips, Q.C.

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