JPs to be awarded at banquet

Former Prime Minister P.J. Patterson is to deliver the main address at the Kingston Lay Magistrates' Association of Jamaica's annual awards banquet at the Spanish Court Hotel on Saturday.

Just under 1,800 justices of the peace (JPs) will be eligible for nomination for the Award for Excellence, which will be presented during the banquet.

JPs who are being selected are expected to uphold the Code of Conduct for Justices of the Peace, show humanity in providing service, and be unbiased in the exercise of duties.

The winning JP is also expected to be well-known in the stated community at all levels, held in high regard as an agent of change, and demonstrably goes beyond the call of duty.

"I am delighted to be the patron of this timely event given the recent furore surrounding a few justices of the peace."

The awards ceremony will showcase the role and work of the justices of the peace and at the end of the evening's proceedings, we are expected to announce a winner for excellence in service," said Custos Rotulorum of Kingston Steadman Fuller.

"I am particularly pleased that Percival James Patterson, former prime minister of Jamaica, has agreed to be the event's keynote speaker. Mr Patterson is a good fit as he played a critical role in the development of Caribbean jurisprudence through the Caribbean Court of Justice and a borderless regional economy through CARICOM.

"He has also been appointed a member of the Global Leadership Foundation and is a member of the Interaction Council - a good fit indeed," added Fuller