A commitment to advocacy for the voiceless has led Senator the Honourable Thomas “Tom” Tavares-Finson to dedicate his life to the fields of Law and Politics. Senator Tavares-Finson served as Senator in the 1980 Parliamentary term and has served in the Senate since 2007. He was elected President of the Senate in March 2016, in September 2020 and again in September 2025.
Senator Tavares-Finson is a past student of Jamaica College. He pursued tertiary studies at McMaster University, Ontario Canada and at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, The University of London. A member of the Honourable Society of the Middle Temple he was called to the English Bar in 1979 and subsequently called to the Jamaican Bar in 1981. He is primarily a Criminal Trial Advocate.
He is a member of the Jamaica Labour Party, and continues to serve as a member of the party’s Central Executive and Standing Committee. He is also a member of the Bar Association of Jamaica and the Advocates Association of Jamaica. He is a Justice of the Peace and a Notary Public. Senator Tavares-Finson served as a member of the Electoral Commission of Jamaica from 2006 to January 2026. (He was previously a member of the Electoral Advisory Committee from 2005 to 2006.)
Senator Tavares-Finson is an avid art collector who enjoys reading in his spare time. He previously served as Chairman of the National Gallery of Jamaica. Senator Tavares-Finson was conferred with the Order of Jamaica in 2020.
The President is married to Rose and has five children.
