Christine Kangaloo | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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.jpg) Kangaloo in 2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 7thPresident of Trinidad and Tobago | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assumed office 20 March 2023 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prime Minister | Keith Rowley Stuart Young Kamla Persad-Bissessar | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Paula-Mae Weekes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6thPresident of the Senate of Trinidad and Tobago | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 23 September 2015 – 17 January 2023 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| President | Anthony Carmona Paula-Mae Weekes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prime Minister | Keith Rowley | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Raziah Ahmed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Nigel de Freitas | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | (1961-12-01)1 December 1961 (age 63)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Political party | Independent (since 2025)[a] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other political affiliations | People's National Movement (2001–2015) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse | [1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Christine Carla KangalooORTT (born 1 December 1961)[3] is aTrinidadian politician and lawyer, who has served as the 7thpresident of Trinidad and Tobago since 2023. She also served asPresident of the Senate of Trinidad and Tobago from 2015 to 2023 and acted as President of the Republic on 33 occasions before assuming office.[4]
Christine Kangaloo was born into aPresbyterianIndo-Trinidadian family to Carlyle and Barbara Kangaloo and she is the fifth of their seven children.[1][5][6] In 2018, she and her husband converted toRoman Catholicism.[7] She graduated from theUniversity of the West Indies andHugh Wooding Law School and with a degree in law. Christine Kangaloo began her legal career in 1985, working alongside her father, Carlyle at his law firm inSan Fernando, Trinidad.[8] Their professional partnership continued until his passing in 1996.[8]
On 12 January 2001, she first became a member of parliament as an opposition senator under the tenure ofOpposition LeaderPatrick Manning.[9] She then served asVice President of theSenate and subsequently Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister in 2002. She was then appointed Minister of Legal Affairs in 2005.[10][11] In the2007 Trinidad and Tobago general election, she was elected to theHouse of Representatives as thePeople's National Movement (PNM) candidate forPointe-à-Pierre and served as the Minister of Science, Technology and Tertiary Education.[12][13] On 23 September 2015 she was elected asPresident of the Senate.[14]
She waspresident of theSenate of Trinidad and Tobago from 2015 until her resignation to run for president in 2023. She is the only person to serve as bothPresident andVice President of theSenate of Trinidad and Tobago, the first woman to serve asSenateVice President and third woman to serve as actingPresident of Trinidad and Tobago andSenatePresident. She became the second woman to serve asPresident of Trinidad and Tobago upon her assumption of office on 20 March 2023.[15][16][17]
Kangaloo has served as an Opposition Senator, Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister, Minister of Legal Affairs and Minister of Science, Technology and Tertiary Education[18] in previousPeople's National Movement governments.[19]
Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago
| Political offices | ||
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| New title | Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister (Social Services Delivery) 2002–2005 | Position abolished |
| Preceded by Peter Taylor | Minister of Legal Affairs 2005–2007 | Succeeded by Prakash Ramadhar |
| Preceded by | Minister of Science, Technology and Tertiary Education 2007–2010 | Succeeded by Fazal Karim |
| Preceded by | President of the Senate of Trinidad and Tobago 2015–2023 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | President of Trinidad and Tobago 2023–present | Incumbent |
