ONE of the main reasons for the failure of the Lay Magistrates’ Bill 1999 to be passed into law was because of the inability of the Select Committee appointed to scrutinise the said Bill before Parliament went into recess.

Should the Lay Magistrates’ Bill 2009, as a reintroduction, be subject to the same process, chances are that it may suffer the same fate. Already, a deferral for a Second Reading in Parliament has occurred.

However, circumstances way back in 1999 to now have differed dramatically especially since the cases backlog issue has called for a new thinking and aggressive action on the part of the judiciary in order to make justice more accessible to those who cannot afford the high cost of litigation.

One has to be optimistic because of the intervention of some distinguished legal minds on the issue such as Madam Justice Desiree Bernard from the Caribbean Court of Justice, the Hon. Justice Jainarine Singh; Mr. Kashir Khan, attorney-at-law; Mr. Ravi Shankar Sukul, a British trained lawyer and the Honourable Charles Ransom, Attorney General, who had the honour to table the long awaited Lay Magistrates’ Bill 2009 in Parliament and was one of the parties who agitated for the Lay Magistrates’ Bill of 1999.

Since May 2008, the astute leadership of Mr. Hermon Bholaisingh JP/COA/LMO, the JP Association has begun to work steadfastly in the enhancement of the professionalism of its members. Before JP’s can become capable of taking on additional or new responsibilities, they would have to undergo intensive training by the administration, non-governmental agencies and the Association itself.

It would be interesting to follow the track record of some of the JP’s/COA in this Country. Have they justified their appointments? Many have migrated to other lands while some become inactive on account of ill-health, some deceased, etc.

The JP Association however, is conscious of its role towards civil society; its supportive role towards reform in the judiciary; its importance in the advocacy of peace, progress, unity and harmony; its mandate to sensitise its membership for social service; its mission to forge and expand itself into a strong and viable entity.

All JP’s/COA’s should immediately see the need to become financial members in the Association to confront a future that can be very demanding. Head office: Lot 5-6 Lombard Street, Werk-en-Rust, Georgetown; Telephone No. 225-9617 or 225-8876; Fax No. 225-9636; Email address: justices_of_the_peace@yahoo.com or justices_of_the_peace@hotmail.com.
HERMON BHOLAISINGH