Damion Mitchell, Staff ReporterMARCIA MAGDALYN Bennett was on Thursday installed by Governor-General Sir Howard Cooke as the first female Custos for the parish of St. Thomas, during a ceremony at Paul Bogle square in Morant Bay.
Mrs. Bennett, 53, succeeds the Rev. Leonard Saunders, who demitted office on June 30, having served in the voluntary post of Custos for nine years.
"This is special for me because I never dreamt of this path," Mrs. Bennett said, after being proclaimed by the Governor-General as the new Custos of St. Thomas.
She was born in Cedar Valley, St. Catherine but for the past 34 years has been living in St. Thomas, where she has served as a businesswoman, community leader and Justice of the Peace (JP).
POSITIVE CHANGES
Custos Bennett said she would be working closely with the 149 other JPs in the parish to assist with effective delivery of justice and to create positive changes in the behaviours of the citizens of St. Thomas.
"One of our problems today is that many of us do not take time to care," she said, while noting the importance of practising a culture of concern for the community.
Tears trickled down her cheeks when she mentioned her late husband among several other persons who have supported her endeavours over the years.
For his part, the Governor-General noted that with a decrease in the level of discipline in society, JPs had a significant role to play in restoring decency.
He said Jamaicans have demonstrated repeatedly that they can match or even outstrip the competencies of individuals worldwide. "With the vitality of the JP's I expect that there is going to be a great revival in this parish (St. Thomas) led by the Custos," he added.
In the meantime, Justice Minister, Senator A.J. Nicholson, who delivered the keynote address, said the Government was considering increasing the number of JPs in each parish to ensure that there are two such persons to serve every 1000 citizens.
He also said this would assist with a more effective administration of justice in the Petty Sessions courts, presided over by JPs. Petty Session cases currently represent 55 per cent of the criminal cases filed in the courts annually with just over 60 per cent being disposed of each year, according to Mr. Nicholson, who is also the Attorney General.
He said too that there were several recommendations for more training of JPs serving in the courts to be undertaken by the Government.
And while congratulating the new Custos, Senator Nicholson said, "Your pilgrimage begins at a time when the entire system of the administration of justice is under much more scrutiny than ever before."
