Justices of the peace welcome training as lay magistrates

Justice of the Peace (JP) for Kingston Lt Col (Ret'd) Euken Mills believes that specialised training, which he and colleague JPs have received to serve as lay magistrates, will greatly enable them to assist in reducing the backlog of cases in the courts.

He is one of 40 JPs from Kingston and St Andrew who have been trained in the justice ministry's ongoing effort, through the Justice Training Institute, to boost the capacity of the lay magistrates' courts by, among other things, strengthening the JPs' capabilities to improve service delivery in their communities.

The training programme for the Corporate Area JPs, administered in May, was facilitated by retired High Court Judge Justice Marva McIntosh. A graduation ceremony was held for the participants at the Medallion Hall Hotel in St Andrew last week.

"We are given a mandate that we need to focus on reducing the backlog. The knowledge gained will obviously help us in that regard," Mills said.

WIDE-RANGING TOPICS

That knowledge was gained through the wide-ranging topics covered during the training. These included judicial conduct, ethics, court procedures and rules, the trial process, evidence, the rules of admissibility, and sentencing.

Other subject areas focused on how to conduct one's self while on the bench, taking guidance from persons who are better trained and are experts in specific areas, and how to administer justice impartially.

Mills, who averaged the highest mark - 93.5 per cent - at the end of the training, described Justice McIntosh as an "excellent facilitator", noting that her seamless delivery of the subject areas would ensure that everything learnt would "remain indelibly etched in our minds".

St Andrew JP Daniel Dawes, who received the second highest mark - 93 per cent - said that the training would not only assist in reducing the backlog, but also enable the JPs to deliver "unbiased justice to Jamaicans".

Dawes also supports the recent call by Justice Minister Delroy Chuck for JPs operating contrary to established guidelines and rules to be investigated in order to safeguard the vocation's integrity.

Justice Minister Delroy Chuck says that plans are in place to significantly increase the range of matters over which justices of the peace (JPs) serving as lay magistrates can preside.

This is part of the overarching strategy targeting a reduction in the backlog of court cases.

"It is important that you understand that your current limited jurisdiction is in no way a reflection of the enormity of your role, responsibility, and importance in the advancement of justice," the minister told justices of the peace recently at the graduation for those who received specialised training to serve as lay magistrates.

The ministry's chief technical director, Grace Ann Stewart, said that the latest cohort of participants is among 123 undergoing lay magistrates training since January.

"This represents the forward thrust of the ministry as it advances the new face of justice by improving access to justice services and increasing the efficiency of the courts," she said.

Acting Chief Parish Judge for St Andrew Cheste Crooks said that JPs play a critical role in the justice system.

FIRST POINT OF CONTACT

"You are the first point of contact or sometimes the only point of contact that some of our citizens will have with the justice system. An even greater burden and duty is placed on justices of the peace," he said.

Crooks encouraged the graduates to familiarise themselves with the code of conduct for JPs, which is in the first schedule of the Justice of the Peace Act, 2018.

"We cannot have JPs sitting as judicial officers when we have other members out on the street collecting money to sign documents. Such practices have to be stopped and cannot be endorsed," he emphasised.