A high-profile, multi-million-dollar wrongful dismissal lawsuit launched by former Central Bank governor Dr Alvin Hilaire against the national government has been fully resolved via a mutually agreed settlement, eliminating the need for a scheduled full trial, legal representatives for both parties confirmed yesterday during a Port of Spain High Court hearing overseen by Justice Lisa Ramsumair-Hinds. The settlement closes a nearly half-year legal battle stemming from the June 24, 2025, cabinet decision to revoke Hilaire’s governorship, a move that took place just one month before his official term was set to expire; former finance minister Larry Howai was appointed to fill the vacant post the very same day the termination was announced. Hilaire initially filed the claim against the Office of the Attorney General and the Cabinet seeking roughly $9.8 million in compensation, covering uncollected salary and benefits for the remainder of his term, plus damages for alleged emotional distress and violations of his constitutional rights. The full financial value of the settlement remains undisclosed, as the final agreement includes a binding confidentiality clause that bars both sides from disclosing the payout quantum. The resolution came after months of shifting legal proceedings: when the case first appeared before Justice Devindra Rampersad in April, Hilaire’s lead counsel Senior Counsel Stuart Young noted that admissions in shared court pleadings opened a path to agree on liability outside of a full trial, leaving only damage assessment for the court to rule on, and emphasized that his client was eager to resolve the prolonged dispute that continued to negatively impact his personal and professional life. At that time, the State’s then lead legal representative Senior Counsel Anand Ramlogan, who has since stepped down from the case, pushed back against that proposal, arguing that both liability and damages required a full public trial to adjudicate fairly. Justice Rampersad subsequently scheduled the trial for November 2, and set formal timelines for pre-trial submissions related to the scheduled testimonies of Hilaire and Planning, Economic Affairs and Development Minister Kennedy Swaratsingh, who were both set to take the stand on the day the settlement was announced. The case was later reallocated to Justice Ramsumair-Hinds after Justice Rampersad and four other High Court judges were selected for elevation to the Court of Appeal, with their official swearing-in ceremony coinciding with the day the settlement was formally announced in court. The core of Hilaire’s legal challenge centered on contesting the State’s official justification for his removal: government attorneys had argued the termination was lawful under provisions of the Central Bank Act, citing alleged official misconduct and failure to properly fulfill his core duties. Hilaire categorically denied all those claims, alleging that on the day of his removal, Minister Swaratsingh visited his office and pressured him to resign immediately, citing Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s dissatisfaction with his position related to a pending Central Bank audit. He stated he was denied reasonable time to consult his legal team before being forced to choose between voluntary resignation or immediate revocation of his appointment. The broader dispute also involved contested details around external auditing arrangements for the Central Bank: Hilaire maintained that former Auditor General Jaiwantie Ramdass had stepped down from her post as the bank’s external auditor in 2024 of her own volition, though he had extended an offer for her to review specific flagged concerns related to national fiscal accounts. He also rejected allegations of conflict of interest tied to the appointment of BDO Trinidad and Tobago as the bank’s new external auditor, confirming the firm was selected through a fully independent, regulated procurement process. Hilaire’s full legal team included Senior Counsel Stuart Young, alongside attorneys Anthony Bullock and Imran Ali, while the State was represented by King’s Counsel Tom Richards, Gerald Ramdeen, Krysta Jalim, Radha Sookdeo and Laura-Lee Hackshaw. Speaking to local outlet the Express following the court announcement, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar described the outcome as a mutually beneficial amicable settlement that protected the respective interests of all involved parties, noting that the State was fully satisfied with the negotiated resolution.