Mr. Joseph Emmanuel Carter first served as President of the Senate during the 5th Session of the 3rd Republican Parliament (1990-1991). He was reappointed in the same capacity during the 4th Republican Parliament.

Mr. Carter was born in 1929 and completed his full secondary education at Queen’s Royal College. He joined the Public Service in 1948 and, after serving in the Colonial Secretary's Office, was transferred to the Legislature Department in 1954 where he served for thirty five years until retirement in 1989. Mr. Carter was appointed Second Clerk Assistant, Legislative Council in 1960 and was Clerk Assistant, House of Representatives in 1961. He became Clerk of the Senate and Deputy Administrative Head of Parliament in 1964 and ex officio Assistant Secretary, Local CPA Branch and was promoted Clerk, House of Representatives, and Administrative Head of Parliament in 1975. Three months after his retirement Carter was appointed as a Senator and elected as President of the Senate in March, 1990. Following General Elections in December, 1991, which saw a change in Government, he was re elected President of the Senate in January 1992.

As President of the Senate, he was required by the Constitution to act as Head of State during the absence of the President of the Republic and did so for periods averaging approximately one month per year each year from 1990 to 1993. Most noteworthy was his acting as President of the Republic at the time of the attempted coup of July 1990. During his career, Mr. Carter was attached to the House of Commons, London, in the summer of 1964 and benefited from an intensive Management Training course in 1967. For several years he lectured on the functions of Parliament to public servants attending various courses.

Mr. Carter served for 25 years as Secretary and Assistant Secretary of the Local CPA Branch. During that time he attended CPA Annual Plenary Conferences in Uganda; Bahamas; Trinidad and Tobago; Malawi; Sri Lanka; India; Canada; New Zealand; Fiji; Kenya; Saskatchewan; United Kingdom and Malaysia.

In 1989 Mr. Carter was awarded the Medal Of Merit (MOM) for public service to Trinidad and Tobago.

He was married and had 4 children; one boy and three girls.

Mr. Carter passed away on Wednesday 21st January, 2015 in Miami, Florida.