‘Don’t witness signatures you don’t know’
Chuck renews warning that JPs risk criminal charges for aiding people unfamiliar to them
Published:Saturday | January 31, 2026 | 12:12 AMChristopher Thomas/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister Delroy Chuck is warning justices of the peace (JPs) not to witness signatures being made by people they do not know, or they might land themselves in hot water on criminal charges for fraud and other possible offences.
Chuck gave the warning yesterday during his keynote address during the commissioning of 28 new JPs for the parish of St James at the Grand-A-View Event Place in Montego Bay. The commissioning service, the first in St James for 2026, brings the current number of JPs in the parish to 963.
“Your integrity demands that you do not assist residents that you really do not know. There are people who will come to you and ask you to identify them, but until NIDS (National Identification System) comes, please be on your guard, because they will come with pictures and tell you that their name is Delroy Chuck, but you say you know another Delroy Chuck, and they say they are also named that, and you foolishly go and witness the signature, and they can now get a driver’s licence or other documents in that name,” said Chuck, referencing.
“When you witness a signature that you do not know, then you are opening the door to corruption and a lot of misdeeds. Across Jamaica, there are many JPs who are witnessing land documents, and they do not appreciate that sometimes the person whose name you are witnessing may well be false, but it allows that person to sell property, and you could well find yourself in the criminal courts for being negligent or reckless in witnessing a signature and allowing property to be transferred because you witnessed that person’s signature, and that was not the actual owner,” Chuck continued.
The minister had previously issued a similar warning in October 2018, amid reports of increasing numbers of fake identifications arising from JPs validating and witnessing the documents of persons they were not familiar with. In December that year, there were reports of JPs, including in St James, affixing their seals on documents for people not known to them, sometimes in return for financial contributions.
Work together
Section 20 of the Justices of the Peace Act 2018 states that any JP who uses an official seal for a fraudulent or otherwise unlawful purpose can be fined up to $500,000 or face imprisonment not exceeding three years. JPs are also bound by the act’s code of conduct to refrain from any action that is unlawful or that would bring the office of the JP into disrepute.
Chuck also stressed that JPs, along with other citizens, must work together with the police to maintain Jamaica’s currently low crime rate, pointing to the gains which the police have made in reducing murders in western Jamaica and especially St James. In 2025, St James recorded a total of 58 murders, a significant decrease compared to 125 murders in 2024.
“We have professional judges and policemen, so we are not asking you to do that role, but you must still assist in maintaining peace and order, working with the police and other stakeholders. Jamaica has many problems, and one of the problems that we are determined to solve, and that every single one of us must be determined to solve, is the one about reduction of crime. We are doing extremely well now, but we need to double up our effort to ensure that we can reduce crime even more,” said Chuck.
“In 2023, murder was reduced by about nine per cent; in 2024, it went down by just under 19 per cent, and then last year [2025], it went down by just under 42 per cent. Last year there were 673 murders, just under 500 murders less than in 2024,” Chuck continued.
“Western Jamaica, especially St James, saw a significant reduction, and we must congratulate the police for that tremendous work. But the area that I urge you to participate in as much as possible, is to work very closely with the police.”
Meanwhile, St James’ custos Bishop Conrad Pitkin commended the newly commissioned JPs for voluntarily offering their services to their communities and the wider Jamaica.
“Many people journey through life focused on career and family, and rightly so, but there comes a moment when the call to give back grows louder. To our new JPs, you have paused, reflected, and voluntarily chosen a path of service,” said Pitkin. “You enquired how can you serve your country at this level, and especially in times such as these, that choice matters. Your willingness to serve will make a real and lasting difference.”