Thirty-seven new Justices of the Peace (JPs) have been commissioned into service in St. Ann.

They took the oath of office during a ceremony at Riu Ocho Rios last Friday (May 16).

Justice Minister Delroy Chuck, in his address, encouraged the new JPs to serve with integrity, emphasising “from now on, make sure your character is unblemished”.

“You must have the conscience to know that you have integrity and character, so that no one points fingers at you or claims you have done anything wrong. You must feel that you are doing what is right. When you can walk through your community without looking over your shoulder, you feel good. If that is the case, you don’t need to worry,” he stated.

Minister Chuck also urged the JPs to be beacons of hope, sources of information, and figures of compassion when assisting their fellow citizens.

For his part, Custos Rotulorum for St. Ann, Joseph Issa, encouraged the JPs to find causes they are passionate about and actively participate in the parish’s JP Association.

“We do our prison visits once or twice a year. We want to do the hospital visits again and start that up. Each of you will know somebody in the association. So reach out to the association and see how you can help,” he stated.