Minister of Justice Delroy Chuck has urged justices of the peace (JPs) across the island to familiarise themselves with the various services of the Ministry of Justice to better serve their communities.
Chuck made the call while speaking at a commissioning ceremony of 45 new justices of the peace in the parish of St Elizabeth on Friday, September 22.
“I urge you justices of the peace to get knowledge of all the various services the ministry is offering. We are doing sensitisation programmes regularly from the Ms Patterson, who is doing restorative justice with the newly minted JPs. I am going to beg her to conduct some classes of restorative justice amongst all the persons here in the parish because with restorative justice it is justice to ease and how we promote it, child diversion, victim services, mediation, legal aid are all services the ministry offer’,” he said.
The justice minister also urged JPs to promote the services of the Ministry of Justice to reinforce peace and safety in communities.
“Justices of the peace, it is your burden where you see conflicts in the households or between spouses that you recommend that they seek help because if they don’t get the help they are going to add to Superintendent Minto domestic violence or death and we have far too many of them because spouses do not utilise the services or seek help when they are reeling in conflicts,” he said.
Chuck also cautioned the newly minted JPs against taking payment to perform service.
“When you go out there and you help, don’t look for thanks, worse don’t look for payments, and if you take any payment, we (are) going (to) de-commission you. It’s not worth it. A man offering you J$5000, J$10,000 for giving them a recommendation they are grateful and they want to hand you money say no, it’s not worth it your character, your value is worth much more than the J$5000 or J$10,000,” he said.
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