Trinidad and Tobago became a republic under the Constitution of 1976 and the monarch and governor-general were replaced by a ceremonial president.
The governor-general was appointed for an indefinite term, serving at the pleasure of the monarch.
After the passage of the Statute of Westminster 1931, the governor-general was appointed solely on the advice of the Cabinet of Trinidad and Tobago, without the involvement of the British government.
In the event of a vacancy, the chief justice served as officer administering the government under a dormant commission.
Under the 1976 Constitution of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, the president replaced the monarch as head of state.