28 New Justices of The Peace Commissioned for Portland

Twenty-eight new Justices of the Peace (JPs) have been commissioned to serve in Portland, bringing the total number of JPs in the parish to 308.

During the commissioning ceremony on Thursday (February 19) at Hotel Tim Bamboo in Port Antonio, Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Hon. Delroy Chuck, urged the newly commissioned JPs to ensure that they are well informed in the execution of their duties.

“You must get as well-informed as possible… and you’re not going to get well informed by just sitting and doing nothing. Leaders are readers. Get as much information as possible, so you’re a fountain of information,” he implored.

Mr. Chuck told the JPs that, at a minimum, they should also be able to guide people on how to access information.

“The last thing I want you to do is to misinform people. So when you don’t know… you don’t know. But, at the very minimum, you must know how to know. In other words, you must know what to tell people about how they can get their information,” the Minister added.

He stated that the Ministry is “doing everything possible” to empower JPs with information, such as by hosting seminars and webinars.

Mr. Chuck further reminded the newly commissioned JPs that the role requires decency, civility, integrity and character, while encouraging them to pursue the best version of themselves.

In his remarks, Custos Rotulorum for Portland, Hon. Lincoln Thaxter, congratulated the new JPs “for having stayed the course, gone through the requisite training, and have now rolled up their sleeves and are ready to work in the Portland Justices of the Peace Association”.

Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Romeo Henry, representing Commanding Officer of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) Portland Division, Superintendent Ainsley McCarthy, highlighted the Justices’ role in providing assistance to the police.

“You are not going to be enforcers of law, but you are going to be that voice of reasoning in your communities. You know the people, you can discern the people that are around you, those who are keener to commit crime and those persons who are involved in crime elsewhere. This is information that the police really need,” DSP Henry said.

The office of Justice of the Peace originated in England in 1361. It is entrusted to a person of unquestionable integrity, dedicated to promoting and protecting the rights of individuals.

Some of the roles of a JP include attesting and authenticating documents under the official seal; performing judicial functions in certain courts; attending the Children’s Court and Drug Court; considering applications for bail; and providing counsel and advice, among other duties.