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Dr. Timothy Affonso

Dr. Timothy Affonso

LLB LLM PHD

 

Dr. Timothy Affonso is a Deputy Dean  at the Faculty of Law at the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus. He is also a Tutor at the Hugh Wooding Law School where he teaches constitutional law and law and legal systems. He is an attorney-at-law with over 18 years’ experience. He is a former State Prosecutor and extradition attorney with the Ministry of the Attorney General of Trinidad and Tobago. He is a national scholarship winner and a Chevening Scholar. He holds a Bachelors of Laws Degree from UWI, Cave Hill Campus, a Master of Laws Degree, with Distinction, from the University College London and a Doctor of Philosophy in Public International Law and International Human Rights Law from the UWI, Cave Hill Campus. He is a Director and co-chair of the Caribbean Centre for Human Rights and a founding member of the International Law Association (Caribbean Branch). His research interests include international human rights with a focus on vulnerable groups; post-colonial laws and public international law.

 Timothy.Affonso@uwi.edu or STA-Law.DeputyDean@uwi.edu
 (868)-662-2002 ext.82810
– UWI Scholar Account
Office Hours – Please email to schedule a meeting.

Degrees:

  • Ph.D. Public International Law & International Human Rights Law – University of the West Indies (UWI)
  • PG Cert University Teaching & Learning (with Distinction) – UWI
  • LL.M. Public Law & Human Rights (with Distinction) – University College London (UCL)
  • Legal Education Certificate – Hugh Wooding Law School
  • LL.B. Bachelor of Laws (Hons.) – University of the West Indies (UWI)

Teaching Interests:

  • Public International Law
  • International Human Rights Law
  • Contract Law
  • Caribbean Human Rights Law

 

Research Interests:

  • Public International Law
  • International Human Rights Law
  • Contract Law
  • Caribbean Human Rights Law

 

PhD Supervision Interests:

  • Public International Law- dualism and monism
  • International Human Rights Law – rights of vulnerable groups specifically women and children
  • Contract Law – construction law (FIDIC)
  • Caribbean Human Rights Law – reform

Books:

1. “Mastering the Art of International Mooting: The Structure, Technique and Rules of International Mooting” XLibris Publishing (2013)

2.“Contract Law: A Commonwealth Caribbean Casebook” XLibris Publishing (2013)

 

Refereed Book Chapters Published:

1. Timothy Affonso, “Human Rights Dimensions of Venezuelan Asylum Seekers in Trinidad and Tobago” The Caribbean Social Justice Agenda, edited by Marlon Anatol, Raymond Mark Kirton, Ashaki L. Dore (Lexington: Rowman and Littlefield, 2022). ISBN:9781666923407. Pages 36-65.

2. Timothy Affonso,“Human Rights, CSR, UNDRIP and Community Engagement” in Energy Law and Sustainable Development Goals: Host Government Instruments in the Oil and Operations, edited by Eduardo G. Perreira, Thomas L. Muinzer, Patrick R. Baker (Routledge, 2024). ISBN 9781032157436. Pages 46-65.

3. Timothy Affonso, “Independence Undermined from the Beginning: Deconstructing Legal Vestiges of Colonialism” in Independence, Colonial Relics and Monuments in the Caribbean, edited by Allison O. Ramsay, Jerome Teelucksingh (Lexington Books: Rowman and Littlefield, 2024).  ISBN 9781666943979. Pages 179-194.

4. Timothy Affonso, “Legislating Public Health: A Perspective on Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccinations in the Caribbean” in Prospects and Challenges for Caribbean Societies in and beyond COVID-19 edited by Camille Huggins, Talia Esnard, Wendell C. Wallace, Christine Descartes, Shelene Gomes (Springer Nature, 2024). Pages 71-81.

5. Timothy Affonso, “Follow Fashion: Britain’s Continuing Influence on the Death Penalty in the Caribbean” in Palgrave Handbook of Caribbean Criminology, edited by Wendell C. Wallace (Palgrave, 2024). ISBN 9783031523779. Chapter 25.

6. Timothy Affonso, Ronnie Boodoosingh, “Criminal Law and Human Rights in the Caribbean: A paradoxical relationship” in Palgrave Handbook of Caribbean Criminology edited by Wendell C. Wallace (Palgrave, 2024). ISBN 9783031523779. Chapter 35.

7. Timothy Affonso, Ronnie Boodoosingh, “Reform of judicial systems in selected Caribbean islands” in Palgrave Handbook of Caribbean Criminology edited by Wendell C. Wallace (Palgrave, 2024).  ISBN 9783031523779. Chapter 36.

8. Reg Fowler, Eduardo G Pereira, Timothy Affonso, John Jeremie, Stability in Eduardo G. Pereira, Thomas Muinzer, Patrick Baker, Energy Law and the Sustainable Development Goals: Host Government Instruments for Sustainability in Oil and Gas Operations (Routledge: Taylor and Francis 2024).

9. Timothy Affonso, “ESG Agenda’ in Natural Gas Flaring & Energy Transition: Laws, Policies and Regulations (Kluwer Publishers, March 2025).

10. Timothy Affonso, “The Impact of Global Boiling on Caribbean Islands: Practicality of Achieving Sustainable Development Goals” in Climate Change: Intervention Strategies and Sustainable Development in the Global South, (Palgrave MacMillan, June 2025).

11.Timothy Affonso, “Energy Trilemma in Trinidad and Tobago: Perspective and Practices” in The Energy Trilemma: Energy Transition, Energy Security and Energy Justice Policies, Regulations and Sustainable Developments (QUP, July 2025).

 

Refereed Book Chapters Accepted for Publications:

1. Eduardo Perreira, John Jeremie SC, Timothy Affonso, “Stabilisation and Change” in the Oil and Gas Sector and the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals (Routledge: Taylor and Francis, 2024).

2. Timothy Affonso, “Local Content and possible conflicts with other International Obligations: Does local content conflict with bilateral, regional and/or international treaties?” in A Practical Guide For The Design And Implementation Of Local Content Policies And Regulations In The Oil And Gas Sector (PennWell Energy Law Series, 2024).

3. Timothy Affonso,“Privy Council as the Final Appellate Court in the Caribbean” in Caribbean Perspectives on Criminology and Criminal Justice: Volume 3, edited by Wendell C. Wallace, Westphalia Press.

4. Timothy Affonso, “Law Used to Perpetuate Inequalities: A Commonwealth Caribbean Phenomenon” Inequality and its Solutions in Latin America and the Caribbean edited by Kevin Williams, Warren Benfield, Dacia Leslie, Taylor and Francis.

5. Timothy Affonso, “Constitutional Colonialism in the Commonwealth Caribbean” Caribbean Perspectives on Criminology and Criminal Justice: Volume 4, edited by Wendell C. Wallace, Westphalia Press (2025).

6. Timothy Affonso et al, “Local Content Obligations in the Oil and Gas Industry vis-à-vis World Trade Organization Framework: Conflict or Harmony?”

7. Timothy Affonso, “Suffering in Silence: A Human Rights Analysis of Venezuelan Migrant Children in Trinidad and Tobago”, International Handbook of Child Protection: Laws, Rights, Policies and Practices, Springer, (2026).

Refereed Journal Articles Published:

1. Timothy Affonso, “The Law, Climate Change and SDGs: A Caribbean Perspective for Sexually Diverse Persons” in The Caribbean Social Justice Forum Volume 3, No. 2 (September-December 2024) p. 32-48.

2.Timothy Affonso, “How Communication Impacts the Right to Health: COVID-19 Seen Through a Lens of Vulnerability,” American Behavioral Scientist, 2022, Pages 1-13. Found at: https://doi.org/10.1177/00027642221138277(Impact Factor 3.2)

3. G. Pereira; O.S. Kirillova; D. Moin; S.F. Ojagh; W.A. Clavijo Vitto; J.V.M. Cardoso; F. Delgado de Jesus; S.G. Balliram; E. Charles; Timothy Affonso, “International Sanctions on Petroleum Producing Countries vis-à-vis Private Investments: A Comparison Between Iran, Russia and Venezuela,” Oil, Gas and Energy Law Journal OGEL, June 2023, Pages 1-56. ISSN 1875-418X. Found at: https://www.ogel.org/article.asp?key=4105

4. Timothy Affonso, “Breaking New Ground in Procurement Law: A new exception to Ron Engineering,” The Lawyer, Volume 9, Issue No. 1, November 2022, Pages 5-10.

5. Timothy Affonso, “The Legality and Enforceability of ‘Stay-at-Home’ Orders: The Appropriate Response to Covid-19 by Trinidad and Tobago,” Commonwealth Law Bulletin, 2020, Vol. 46 Issue 2, Pages 183-194. Found at: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03050718.2020.1772091

6. Timothy Affonso, “Delaying the Inevitable: A Discussion of the Possible Abolition of Corporal Punishment of Children at  Home in Trinidad and Tobago,” Children’s Legal Rights Journal Vol. 1, (Spring) 2010, Pages 81-98. Found at: https://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?handle=hein.journals/clrj30&div=7&id=&page=(Impact Factor: 0.431)

7. Eduardo Perreira, Timothy Affonso, Patrick Barker, “Petroleum Exploration in the Gulf of Mexico: The US-Cuban Regulatory Flaws and their Implications for Florida’s Protection Against a Transboundary Oil Spill,” Oil, Gas and Energy Quarterly (OGEL) Volume 72, No. 3, 2024, Pages 581-602.

8. Timothy Affonso, “Regional Integration through Law: The Original Jurisdiction of the Caribbean    Court of Justice,” UWISALJ, Volume 1 (June 2023) Pages 18-31. Found at: https://sta.uwi.edu/law/sites/default/files/law/documents/UWISALJ%20Volume%201%202023.pdf

9. Timothy Affonso, “Accountability in Representation: Membership Holding Trade Unions Responsible,” Caribbean Social Justice Forum, Volume 2, Issue 2 (May-August 2022) Pages 57-69.

10. Timothy Affonso, “Widening the Divide: A Human Rights’ Critique of the Impact of COVID-19 On Informal Workers in Trinidad and Tobago,” Caribbean Social Justice Forum, Volume 2, Issue 1 (Jan-April 2022) Pages 86-98.

11. Timothy Affonso, “Vaccine Distribution and Access Undermining the Human Right to Health,” Caribbean Social Justice Forum, Vol. 1 Issue 1 (Sept-Dec 2021) Pages 10-28. Found at: https://cclcs.edu.tt/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Caribbean-Social-Justice-Forum-Journal.pdf.

12. Sharifa Simon-Roberts, Timothy Affonso, “In Search of a Safe Harbour: Venezuelan Migrants as Depicted in National Newspapers in Trinidad and Tobago”, Migration and Development, 1-16, 2024. (Impact Factor: 0.7) https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/epdf/10.1177/21632324241281435

Blogs:

1. Timothy Affonso, “Not All About Striking,” Buzz Newsfeed, Volume 4, Issue 3 (June 2023).
Found at: https://issuu.com/buzztt/docs/buzz_june_23._legacy_of_labour_in_the_caribbean?fr=xKAE9_zU1NQ

2. Timothy Affonso, “SDGs for SIDS,” Buzz Newsfeed Volume 4, Issue 5 (April 2023).
Found at: https://issuu.com/buzztt/docs/buzz_vol_4_iss_2

3. Timothy Affonso, “(In)Dependence,” Buzz Newsfeed, Volume 3, Issue 4, pg. 1 (October 2022).
Found at: https://issuu.com/buzztt/docs/buzz_vol_3_iss_4

4. Timothy Affonso, “To Vaccinate or Not to Vaccinate? That is the Question!” Buzz Newsfeed, Volume 3, Issue 2, pg. 10-13 (April 2022).
Found at: https://issuu.com/buzztt/docs/buzz_vol_3_iss_2

Technical Report(s):

1. Timothy Affonso, December 2021 – Submission of Technical Report entitled, “Regional Cooperation and Coordination Framework in Times of Disasters in the OECS” for International Federation of the Red Cross in conjunction with the European Union, PIRAC, Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency, Interreg, AFD.

2. Timothy Affonso, Contributor to Report of International Law Association Committee on Complementarity in International Criminal Law at the Sydney Conference 2018.

Newspaper Articles:

    1. Timothy Affonso, “Sexual Offences”, Guardian Newspaper, Sunday 29 April 2013.
    Found at: https://www.guardian.co.tt/article-6.2.421294.fcbfe0a006

    2. Timothy Affonso, “When Can I Sue for Negligence,” Guardian Newspaper, Sunday 23 September, 2012. Found at: https://www.guardian.co.tt/article-6.2.431324.d8c627f26e

    3. Timothy Affonso, “Observing Rules and Laws While using Roadways,” Guardian Newspaper, Monday 28 May, 2012. Found at: https://affonso2.rssing.com/chan-8185549/article8-live.html

    4. Timothy Affonso, “Protection of Children’s Welfare,” Guardian Newspaper, Monday 23 April, 2012 and Monday 30 April, 2012.
    Found at: https://www.ttlawcourts.org/images/lawlibrary_children/child_abuse/118-23-04-12-gua-pA13.jpg referred to at page 76 of Senate Hearings dated 2 June, 2015 (32nd Sitting- 5th Session – 10th Republican Parliament) Trinidad and Tobago.
    Found at: https://www.ttparliament.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/hs20150602.pdf

    5. Timothy Affonso, “It’s Against the Law to Refuse Breath Test” Guardian Newspaper, 3 June, 2012. Found at: https://affonso2.rssing.com/chan-8185549/all_p1.html

     

    Articles in Professional Newsletters:

    1. Timothy Affonso, “An Exception to Diplomatic Immunity: What Happens Next?” The International Law Association (Caribbean Branch) Newsletter, Volume 1, Issue 1, June 1, 2023.

    2. Timothy Affonso, “That’s a Wrap! Completing the Mandate of the ILA Committee on Complementarity in International Criminal Law,” The International Law Association (Caribbean Branch) Newsletter, Volume 1, Issue 1, June 1, 2023.

    3.Timothy Affonso, “The Black Economy” in The Colours of the Economy, Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce, April 2023. Found at: https://chamber.org.tt/contact-magazine/2023-q2

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