Justice Sheron Barnes: A Journey Through Life One Step at a Time

“Put one foot before the other, one step at a time” – this is the advice from retired Senior Parish Court Judge, Hon. Miss Justice Sheron Barnes, for the next generation of jurors, lawyers, and legal professionals.

The timeless lesson emphasising patience, persistence, resilience and the power of breaking down large goals into manageable actions, is the philosophy by which Justice Barnes has lived her life.

A trained teacher, who also worked as a journalist, she faced some hurdles on her way to becoming a judge, but she stayed the course, even when progress seemed slow.

She tells JIS News that rather than being overwhelmed by the entire journey, she focused on the next steps, which makes the path forward seem more achievable.

“Put one foot in front of the other. That’s all you need to do in life. Don’t give up. Everybody has a low moment; everybody,” she says.

“Every single thing that you do, prepares you for the next move you make in life,” she said. You’ll be alright,” Justice Barnes adds.

On National Heroes Day, Monday, October 20, the Montego Bay native was honoured with the Mayor’s Special Award for Outstanding Contribution to Justice, a recognition that encapsulates a lifetime of service and dedication to her community and the law.

It is an honour she holds dear, as it comes from the city where she grew up, that shaped her dreams and witnessed her determination to rise above obstacles.

Justice Barnes’ path to the judiciary was far from linear. She pursued studies at Church Teachers’ College in Mandeville graduating in 1981 but was unable to get a teaching job as the profession was oversubscribed.

Undeterred, she applied her skills elsewhere and joined the Jamaica Gleaner’s Western Bureau in Montego Bay as a journalist.

She says the experienced “definitely shaped me. I had the opportunity to interview so many people for feature articles; high-profile people, and every single person said, ‘I wanted to be a so-and-so, but due to financial constraints… I did not pursue it’.”

Justice Barnes was determined to not live with the regret of not achieving her ambition in life.

In 1986, she returned to teaching at Mount Alvernia High School, instructing students in Geography, English Language, and Literature.

In 1989, she moved to Kingston to pursue Mass Communications at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, while simultaneously working part-time as a reporter and features writer at the Gleaner’s North Street office.

Justice Barnes reflected on the guilt she felt leaving her son behind to pursue studies in Kingston but notes that her mother’s words put her doubts to rest.

“She said, ‘you don’t spend quantity time with him but you do spend quality time with him’ and so that made me feel that it was worth it,” she expresses.

Justice Barnes was awarded the Press Association of Jamaica (PAJ) Scholarship in 1992 and in 1993 she graduated from UWI.

Her love for learning and determination eventually drew her to law. In 1996, she was accepted into the law programme at UWI Cave Hill Campus in Barbados, graduating in 1999. She went on to complete her Certificate of Legal Education at Norman Manley Law School, qualifying as an attorney.

“I applied, and I went and I studied. You know, nothing was going to stop me,” she tells JIS News.

Justice Barnes’ legal career began as Clerk of the Courts for St. James before she progressed to Crown Counsel and Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in the Office of the DPP in Kingston.

She became a parish court judge in 2009 and later served two terms as a puisne judge of the Supreme Court in Hilary term in 2019 and the Easter term in 2022.

She has retired from being a judge; however, she remains a practising attorney-at-law, continuing to inspire young jurists and law professionals.

Justice Barnes’ reflections on the challenges of the judicial role reveal the weight of responsibility she bore.

“When you get to the point where you have to sentence somebody, you alone must make that decision. You must look the person in the eye and say, ‘This is the sentence’. It’s never easy, but it’s a job that you have to do,” she notes.

Her years on the bench were defined by fairness and empathy. Even in moments of pressure, her guiding principle remained grounded in her unflinching integrity.

For young persons in the profession, Justice Barnes says “you have to have a life outside of your job. Maintain your family contacts and your friends. There are some friends you’ll have to drop, but you must know who they are.

“Continue to be yourself. Do not forget who you are. Understand that every single person is a human being just like you, so you treat everybody with dignity. I don’t care who; I don’t care what they do. Treat them with dignity. That’s all,” she encourages.

Beyond the courtroom, Justice Barnes has imparted knowledge through lectures in Media Ethics and Legal Issues at University of the West Indies Western Jamaica Campus and Criminal Law at the University of Technology (UTech).

Now in retirement, Justice Barnes is looking forward to exploring the world.

“I wanted to do some more travel. I started last year and early this year, but I have put that on pause. Hopefully, next year, I’ll get back at it,” she says.

“I want to land in Africa… . I’d love to go to Kenya, see Nairobi, and go to South Africa. They are on my bucket list,” Justice Barnes shares.