Attorney General Dale Marshall has called on Caribbean governments to take the landmark Tot Lampkin v Attorney General of Trinidad and Tobago ruling as a critical warning. The 2024 judgment highlighted systemic failures in state responses to domestic violence, which led to the tragic death of Samantha Isaacs in 2017. Marshall emphasized this case during a two-day Regional Symposium to Advance State Responses on Domestic Violence, urging regional institutions to assess their own readiness to handle similar situations effectively. The case involved Samantha Isaacs, who was murdered by her former partner after years of escalating abuse. Despite her repeated reports of assault, death threats, stalking, harassment, and revenge pornography, police and judicial authorities failed to act, even with clear evidence of imminent danger. The Trinidadian High Court ruled in May 2024 that the State breached Samantha’s constitutional rights to life, equality before the law, and protection of the law. The court also found that the State violated the family-life rights of Samantha’s son and mother, establishing that governments have a constitutional duty to protect victims of gender-based violence when risks are known or should reasonably be known. Marshall stressed that the symposium, supported by the Inter-American Development Bank, the Caribbean Development Bank, and regional governments, aims to drive systemic changes to improve state responses to domestic violence. He highlighted the need for legislative and structural initiatives, drawing on successful practices from countries like Guyana, Trinidad, and Jamaica. Marshall acknowledged that even with reforms, states must remain vigilant in protecting victims and their families from ongoing abuse. Earlier this year, Minister of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs Kirk Humphrey also called for stronger implementation of domestic violence policies, citing over 1,000 reported cases in the past two years.