A total of 43 Justices of the Peace (JPs)-designate from St James were officially commissioned as JPs during a ceremony on Thursday (December 29) at the Holiday Inn Resort in Montego Bay, St James.

Minister of Justice Delroy Chuck, the keynote speaker, said that, as the number of justices of the peace in the parish continues to grow, the newly minted JPs will join the growing number of Jamaicans who have been trained to assist with the provision of justice services at the community level. 

“Let me first begin by thanking the 43 newly minted JPs for offering yourselves to serve the people of St James and also the people of Jamaica. May I say, you are joining just over 900 other JPs in St James and you’re getting closer to 1,000. I suspect in the next year, 2023, you’ll be over a thousand,” Chuck noted.

The minister continued: “I want to express appreciation to all of you for volunteering, because that is what you are doing, to give yourself and to provide service for your fellow citizens. I want to emphasize to every single one of you, that now that you have the acronym JP behind your name, let it mean something. Let it mean that you are starting a new chapter in your life, make a difference not only for yourselves but for your families, your communities, and if possible, for this nation.”   

He reiterated calls for Jamaicans, especially JPs, to play their part in making Jamaica a better place that aligns with the Vision 2030 mandate.

“You have experience, you have many skills, you have an imagination that you may have been under utilising so far, utilise that imagination to think of what you could do. You know what Jamaica could become if each of us play our part.”

Chuck noted that, in going forward, teamwork must become a vital part of the Jamaican culture.

“I know individually you might not be able to accomplish much, but in truth the world has been made a better place because of individuals who have made a difference. However, collectively you can do more and that is why over the last few years we’ve decided to ask each parish to have an organised justices of the peace association and every single JP is not only eligible but also entitle to be a part of that association. It is that collective body that can get you to shine more,” the minister noted.

Chuck said: “In other words, you can achieve much as an individual but working together you can achieve exponentially much more. I believe that if you participate with the JP association, meet regularly, share a WhatsApp group, share emails and share your thoughts on how you can make Jamaica a better place, you’ll achieve more.”

He noted that the country needs the help of law-abiding citizens to help in making it better.

“Jamaica needs your help, and it needs the help of every single decent law-abiding Jamaican. It is important to note that if the close to 1,000 of you work together, you could make St James and Jamaica a better place, but you must pull together,” Chuck said.

The minister said Jamaica is not going to become that place it should be if citizens sit back and complain.

“Which is what most Jamaicans do, sit back and criticise, always highlighting the negative that is happening right across Jamaica,” he added.

He encouraged the JPs that as they start this new chapter of their lives, they must think of how they can make positive contributions to the society.

“In staring a new leaf in your life, start thinking about what are the positives you can do. In essence, you may not have the greatest impact to be able to influence the whole parish or the entire country but in a small way you can impact lives. Just a smile or a thank you can make a difference.”

“I say to all of you, you have a responsibility to help in the governance of this country. I urge you, let those two words, justice and peace, mean something in your life, let it be that you ask yourself every day what can I do to ensure that the rights and liberties of our citizens are respected,” Chuck continued.

During his address the minister encouraged the JPs to work closely with the police as they carry out their duties.

“Justices of the peace not only must you ensure that justice is done across your communities, but you must work very closely with other stakeholders especially the police in ensuring that we have peace in every neighbourhood and community across Jamaica.”