Sugar Ray Thomas
President of the University of Technology (UTECH), Dr Stephen Vasciannie believes that justices of the peace (JPs) should be compensated for the work that they do.
Mr Vasciannie was addressing the St Ann Justices of the Peace Association (SAJPA) annual awards on Saturday, October 28.
While recognizing the several voluntary duties that a JP is involved in, such as acting as magistrates in the petty session’s court and children’s court, giving advice and signing of documents, Mr Vasciannie said that he does not feel that their services would be less valuable if they are paid a stipend.
“There are more than 400 JPs for St Ann. This is voluntary service and this represents Jamaican humanity at its best, but I do not believe your services would be any less valuable to society if justices of the peace were paid a stipend for some of their services. In many instances the demands on your time and effort are significant. The state should acknowledge this and provide appropriate compensation in my view,” Mr Vasciannie argued.
Borrowing the lines from Cronixx’s hit song, Mr Vasciannie said he knew the JPs offered their services “for the love and not for the likes,” but he still believed that the JPs should be provided with some support for offering their services.
Meanwhile, Mr Vasciannie lauded the JPs as “unsung heroes and heroines,” and he lauded those being recognized.
“Justices of the peace in many respects are unsung heroes and heroines of Jamaica. At the time of your appointments, you must have already been recognized as pillars of your communities. You were recognized from over 30 years ago as persons of unquestionable integrity, responsible, trustworthy and honourable members of society,” he said.
While acknowledging that the awardees had led and continue to lead exemplary lives, he implored them to be always “willing to be an important link between the individual and the state in a wide variety of matters.”
The eighteen JPs honored were: Karl Fuller O.D.; Beryl Spence; Winnifred Young Shue; Illene Manning; Onesta Maffessanti; Helen Clarke; Maple Lawrence; Gobind Chantani; Kuma Sujanani; A. Adolph Clarke; Norman W. Johnson; Windell Clarke; Leon Gordon O.D.; Anthony Charley; Michael Bachstez; Cecil Simmonds; Jean Dixon and Marjorie Taylor.
