JPs called on to protect rights of people in custody

Sheena Gayle, Gleaner Writer

WESTERN BUREAU:

Justice Minister Delroy Chuck has urged all justices of the peace (JPs) in St James to take a more proactive approach to ensure the rights of people in police custody are not breached.

"We are not going to eliminate crime in Jamaica with injustice; detention has to be done professionally. When we take innocent people into custody and detain them without the approval of a JP, we are penalising them and creating injustice," he highlighted.

The minister was addressing the JPs during a workshop - Advanced Training and Sensitisation on Restorative Justice - held at the Holy Trinity Church Hall in Montego Bay, St James, last Wednesday. The workshop was collaboration between the Ministry of Justice's Restorative Justice Unit and the custos rotulorum of St James, Ewen Corrodus.

"For far too long, we have been having instances where the JP do not even ask the police any information about the person being detained before they sign the document to approve it. We have to be the gatekeepers of justice and peace," Chuck said.

One of the functions of a JP, according the Ministry of Justice, is to visit police stations to ensure that proper procedures are being followed where persons in police custody make statements under caution.

Additionally, the JP must also ensure that there is due process with respect to those placed on identification parades.

Minister Chuck stressed that he is not advocating for JPs to disrupt the work of members of the police force. However, he asked JPs to form groups and visit the police stations at least three times weekly to check the logbooks and find out whether people have been detained for more than 72 hours as per the amended Bail Act.

He also reminded the newly commissioned JPs and their senior counterparts to be role models for their communities and, as such, their reputation and influence must be positive.

"Make sure you are doing enough in your leadership role in your community that it can form a model that our youths can emulate."