Perrin wants status, services of JPs retained when Jamaica transitions to republic status

WESTERN BUREAU:

Hartley Perrin, custos of Westmoreland, is insistent that the duties of justices of the peace (JPs) should not be terminated if and when Jamaica removes the British monarch as head of state.

“I am not worried or in anyway perturbed about us becoming a republic because there are certain functions that we still have to maintain such as the services provided by justices of the peace,” Perrin said.

On Thursday, he was answering inquiries from The Gleaner on what will happen to the services provided by JPs.

While Perrin conceded that a name change was possible, he maintained that the role of JPs in the community, both as it exists now and probably as it did then, is too important to be eliminated.

“They have to be persons who are tasked with the responsibility of certifying documents and doing what JPs do. In some countries they regard them as notary publics and they are paid for the work they offer. In our country, JPs work voluntarily, but they provide a very important role that can’t be taken away,” he stated.

“If that were so, we might as well ask them to resign now because they are not serving any purpose,” Perrin charged, noting that “irrespective of what people may think, there are certain roles that these people perform, sometimes they are not even recognised, but take those responsibilities and positions away and then you will see the value of it.”

He said no discussion has commenced on whether the country will retain the services of JPs with the governor general and custodies or with Delroy Chuck, the minister of justice.

In 1361, England established the position of justice of the peace. The Justice of the Peace Act of 2018 establishes the role, authority, and regulation of JPs in Jamaica. JPs are trusted public servants who uphold the law and work to safeguard the rights of all citizens.

Documents, including passport application forms, photographs, and bank forms are also authenticated and attested by JPs under their official seal. They are empowered to carry out judicial services in the parish courts, the Children’s Court, and the Lay Magistrates’ Court, as stipulated by law.

The Andrew Holness administration has tasked the Marlene Malahoo-Forte -chaired Constitutional Reform Committee with revising and reforming Jamaica’s constitutional arrangements, including the abolition of the monarchy.

The committee has a four-fold mandate to assess the implementation of the recommendations of the Joint Select Committee on Constitutional and Electoral Reform (JSCCER), whose report was approved by Parliament in 1995, to evaluate the recommendations of the JSCCER on establishing the Office of President, to assist in coordinating the required bipartisan collaboration and national consultation during the various phases of reform work and to educate the electorate on their role in the referendum process.

To date, the CRC has recommended replacing the governor general, who currently represents King Charles III in Jamaica, with a ceremonial president. However, this recommendation has been met with opposition from some citizens across the country.