150 Jamaicans Commissioned as Justices of the Peace

Some 150 persons, including several government officials, were commissioned as Justices of the Peace (JPs), during a ceremony held at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in Kingston on Sunday (October 30).

They have now joined the cadre of Jamaicans who have been trained to assist with the provision of justice services at the community level.

Among the officials are State Minister in the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Hon. Alando Terrelonge, Senator Natalie Campbell-Rodriques and Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Ambassador Sheila Sealy Monteith.

Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Legal and Constitutional Affairs, Wayne Robertson, Former Jamaican Ambassador to Japan, Clement Allicock and Chief of Staff in the Office of the Prime Minister, Merle Donaldson, were also commissioned.

Speaking in an interview with JIS News, Mr. Terrelonge said his added role will greatly improve his services as Member of Parliament (MP) for East Central, St. Catherine.

“I believe there is a shortage of JPs in Portmore, and of course, we’ve been working with the Custos of St. Catherine, and she’s been doing a great job in terms of asking for recommendations and getting persons appointed. But, notwithstanding, we still have a lot of persons who come to my office asking for a JP,” he said.

He added that as an MP, “I’ve come to know thousands of persons across the constituency, and so I believe that I’ll be able to make, in terms of a good judgement, certain recommendations to character”.

For her part, Ambassador Sealy Monteith disclosed that she is now the only Justice of the Peace working within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade.

“So, there is an immediate need [for a JP] but, of course, it is an extension, recognising that the service of a JP goes well beyond any one institution, but really it is part of what I do in service to the Government and people of Jamaica,” she said.

Meanwhile, Senator Campbell-Rodriques noted that the training provided to JPs will highly benefit senators in their service to the nation.

“I think as a JP you’ll be exposed to things you would not be exposed to as a senator. There is a whole new set of responsibilities and I think that anything that enhances and exposes us to the community helps us to be better senators [and] better parliamentarians, in general, because you have a greater understanding of what is happening every day,” she stated.

The role of a Justice of the Peace is governed by the Justices of the Peace Act, 2018 and seeks to promote the rights of citizens.