4. Recognition and declaration of rights and freedoms
It is hereby recognised and declared that in Trinidad and Tobago there have existed and shall continue to exist without discrimination by reason of race, origin, colour, religion or sex, the following fundamental human rights and freedoms, namely:—
a. the right of the individual to life, liberty, security of the person and enjoyment of property and the right not to be deprived thereof except by due process of law;
g. freedom of movement;
CONSTITUTION OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO 1976 (REV. 2007) (PDF)
10. International Crimes
(1) Every person is liable on conviction on indictment to the penalty specified in subsection (3) who, in Trinidad and Tobago or elsewhere, commits a crime against humanity.
(2) For the purposes of this section, a “crime against humanity” means any of the following acts when committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against any civilian population, with knowledge of the attack:
(c) enslavement;
(g) rape, sexual slavery, enforced prostitution, forced pregnancy, enforced sterilisation, or any other form of sexual violence of comparable gravity;
(3) The penalty for a crime against humanity is—
(a) if the offence involves the wilful killing of a person, the same as the penalty for murder; or
(b) in any other case, imprisonment for life or a lesser term.
International Criminal Court Act 2006 (PDF)
20. Not providing apprentices or servants with food, etc., whereby life endangered.
Any person legally liable, either as a master or mistress, to provide for an apprentice or servant, necessary food, clothing or lodging, who wilfully and without lawful excuse refuses or neglects to provide the same, or who unlawfully and maliciously does or causes to be done any bodily harm to any such apprentice or servant so that the life of the apprentice or servant is endangered, or the health of the apprentice or servant is or is likely to be permanently injured, is liable to imprisonment for five years.
54. Child stealing.
Any person who unlawfully, either by force or fraud, leads or takes away, or decoys or entices away or detains, any child under the age of ten years, with intent to deprive any parent or guardian, or other person having the lawful care or charge of the child, of the possession of the child, or with intent to steal any article upon or about the person of the child, to whomsoever the article may belong, and any person who with any such intent, receives or harbours any such child, knowing the same to have been, by force or fraud, led, taken, decoyed, enticed away, or detained as mentioned in this section is liable to imprisonment for five years; but no person who claims to be the father of, or to have any right of possession of, an illegitimate child is liable to be prosecuted by virtue hereof on account of the getting possession of that child, or taking that child out of the possession of the mother or any other person having the lawful charge thereof.
Offences against the Person Act (PDF)
3. Kidnapping for ransom
(1) A person who, for ransom, reward, or for any similar consideration unlawfully leads, takes, entices away, abducts, seizes or detains any person without his consent or with his consent obtained by fraud or duress and without lawful excuse such that the person(hereinafter in this Act referred to as the “kidnapped person”) is held, confined, restricted, imprisoned or prevented from returning to his normal place of abode or sent or taken out of Trinidad and Tobago, commits an offence and is liable to imprisonment for not less than twenty-five years.
(2) A person under the age of sixteen years is deemed incapable of consenting to being led, taken, enticed away, abducted, seized, detained, held, confined, restrained or imprisoned.
Kidnapping Act 2003 (PDF)
Second schedule
Part B
Every person in Trinidad and Tobago who is a parent of a child, or who acts in loco parentis, has responsibilities under the law in respect of the parenting function including but not limited to—
7. the responsibility to protect the child from unlawful physical violence and all forms of physical or emotional abuse, neglect or negligenttreatment, maltreatment or exploitation, including sexual abuse, while in the parent’s care;
9. the responsibility to ensure that the child under 12 is not engaged in labour.
Part C
Every person under the age of 18, born in Trinidad and Tobago, or born to, or adopted by, parents who are citizens of Trinidad and Tobago is a child and is subject to care and protection under the law including but not limited to—
12. the right not to have to work at anything that is dangerous or that will interfere with education;
