JPs to get government email addresses

WESTERN BUREAU:

Justices of the Peace (JPs) across the island will be assigned government email addresses shortly, as part of a drive by the Ministry of Justice to get them to engage in technology in carrying out the various obligations of their office.

According to Justice Minister Delroy Chuck, who was speaking during a virtual meeting with JPs and custodes from across the island recently, the roll-out of the email addresses will be done during the first quarter of the 2021/2022 financial year, which started on April 1.

“One of the major problems we have in Jamaica is the inability of our people to access services by the use of technology,” said Chuck, who noted that although it is not a very difficult process, many Jamaicans do not know how to do it.

Chuck advised that agencies such as the Tax Administration of Jamaica, the Administrator-General Department, and other government agencies will be advised to have tutoring sessions, and video-record them so that people across the country can access such tutorials at their will from the different websites of the government agencies, and other available technological platforms.

SEEK HELP

“Justices of the peace, many of you perhaps are like me, where we are technologically challenged. It’s a fact of life,” said Chuck, adding that nothing is wrong with seeking help from others to learn how to use technology.

Chuck said that he is now getting familiar with the use of technology and is using the Zoom platform to hold meetings, noting that “we have to start getting used to the technology”.

“That is why we want all the justices of the peace to have e-mails addresses where they can access all the available materials” emphasised Chuck.

Grace-Ann McFarlane, the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Justice, gave an outline of the plans for the proposed email addresses for JPs.

“In order to roll out this provision of these email addresses, we have now gotten the domain registered, where JPs email, the email (addresses) that will be issued to JPs, will be composed of person’s first name, dot, last name at JP, dot gov, dot JM,” explained McFarlane, who added that in cases where there is more than one person with the same name, they will be differentiated with the addition of a number.

“We (the Ministry of Justice) just acquired the requisite server to support the bandwidth and provide the extra space for the provision of these emails, then we now will have to do the installation of that system, and then populate the system with the relevant information of all the JPs,” added McFarlane, who said that the rolling out of the emails will be done on a phased basis.

McFarlane further noted that work is now being carried out to make sure that all active JPs are included in the system.

editorial@gleanerjm.com