Resist the temptation to ‘profile’ - Businessman pleads with JPs to do the work they were installed to carry out

Western Bureau

Businessman Kenneth Grant, president of the Trelawny Lay Magistrates Association, is calling on his fellow justices in the parish to put aside the temptation to profile and, instead, focus on doing the job they were installed to carry out.

In an interview with The Gleaner, Grant expressed his unhappiness with some JPs in the parish: “Cut the profiling and do the work which you have sworn to do on behalf of the Ministry of Justice and the community,” said Grant.

“Since the beginning of 2019, I have signed over 600 documents. There are justices who have not signed 20 documents. It cannot be right. Some are happy to be called justice but turn up their noses when members of the community approach them for service which they have sworn to deliver,” added Grant.

Another area of concern that Grant expressed unhappiness about is the failure of JPs to visit the cells at police stations, which regularly churn out problematic issues.

“In a recent visit to the Falmouth Police Station cells, I met a woman who was there for 50 days without getting a visit from a justice. It is not only a poor reflection on the justices, but also the management at the station. No person should be kept in any lock-up for more than 10 days,” declared Grant.

He went on to bemoan the problems he is having in getting justices to conduct Petty Sessions Court, which is critical in ensuring that the justice system functions properly.

“There is always an excuse when they are called on to attend court,” stated Grant. “There may come a time when I might have to ask the custos to decommission some of these inactive justices. This should not be a problem when there are over 200 justices in the parish.”

When Superintendent Kirk Ricketts, the commanding officer for the Trelawny police, was asked about Grant’s concern regarding persons being held in custody for a protracted period in breach of their rights, he said he was not aware of that concern.

“I am not aware of any breach or any person being kept for over 10 days. I always ensure that the laws governing occupancy of cells are adhered to,” Ricketts said.