Justice Rolston Fitzherbert Nelson’s academic journey was oriented at Queen’s Royal College (QRC), where he outdid himself first as a House Scholar and later a National Scholar. He further matriculated at the University of Oxford, earning honours degrees in Modern Languages and Jurisprudence, later being awarded a Master of Laws from the University of London. In 1970, he was called to the Bar at Lincoln’s Inn, securing the commencement of a legal career that would compass several decades and have considerable and meaningful influence upon numerous elements of Caribbean jurisprudence.
Justice Nelson’s early professional years were defined both by practice and pedagogy. He was occupied as a tutor at the Norman Manley Law School in Jamaica and was admitted to practise at the Jamaican Bar in 1973. By 1975, he returned to Trinidad and Tobago, embarking on private practice and giving assistance to legal education as an Associate Tutor at the Hugh Wooding Law School from 1978. His judicial career was instituted with his appointment as Justice of Appeal of the Supreme Court of Judicature of Trinidad and Tobago in 1999. In 2005, he ascended to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) as a Judge, later serving as Senior Judge and Acting President on multiple occasions. His tenure at the CCJ was denoted by jurisprudential contributions that have shaped Caribbean legal discourse.
Beyond the bench, Justice Nelson’s involvements have extended to legal scholarship and institutional governance. He has authored numerous articles and case notes in esteemed legal journals, including the British Tax Review and the Jamaica Law Journal. From 1987 to 1999, he served as editor of The Lawyer, the journal of the Law Association of Trinidad and Tobago and was an elected member of its council since its inception. As someone given to leadership, his functions have included chairmanships at the Trinidad & Tobago Unit Trust Corporation and the Workers’ Bank (1989) Limited, as well as a directorship at Republic Bank Limited.
In 2019, Justice Nelson was appointed as the first regional Visitor of The University of the West Indies (UWI), a role previously held by the British monarch. This position entrusted him with the responsibility of adjudicating grievances within the university, accentuating his resolved engagement with justice and education. Justice Nelson’s dedication to QRC has remained constant throughout his life. A former president of the QRC Old Boys’ Association, he has played a pivotal role in fostering alumni involvement and upholding the College’s esteemed legacy.
Justice Nelson is married to Gloria and has two sons, David and Michael, both of whom are also accomplished and proud alumni of QRC.
The Queen’s Royal College Old Boys’ Association takes abounding delight in honouring Hall of Honour Inductee Justice Rolston Fitzherbert Nelson. His remarkable career and unwavering dedication to justice and education embody the highest standards of Royalian virtue.