‘Justice cannot run on charity alone,’ says MP Jess in call for JP stipend

Making a case for Justices of the Peace (JPs) to be paid a stipend to cover basic expenses associated with their roles, Opposition Spokesperson on Justice Zuleika Jess described the current arrangement in Jamaica as institutional exploitation.

In her contribution to the Sectoral Debate in Parliament on Wednesday, Jess said her counterpart, Delroy Chuck, has flatly rejected proposals for JPs to be given a stipend.

She said Chuck called the work of JPs a voluntary task while ignoring the fact that the cost of paper, gas, and electricity has made it a luxury only the rich can afford.

“True justice cannot run on charity alone,” Jess added, while demanding a modernised framework for JPs.

The Opposition spokesperson said more than 7,000 JPs rendered voluntary service and were forbidden from accepting any payment or reward.

However, she said the state relied on them to process bail, visit lock-ups, and conduct mediations.

“Active JPs must currently pay for their own stationery, printer, ink, and travel costs to courts and prisons out of their own pockets and even fund their expenses to serve in court as lay magistrates. This is not sustainable volunteerism; it is institutional exploitation,” she said.

Arguing that the Government was out of step with global trends, Jess said there was clear, established international precedent for the financial facilitation of JPs, proving that volunteerism does not require a person to compromise their own livelihood.

Referencing other jurisdictions, Jess said that in the United Kingdom, magistrates and JPs are volunteers, but they receive a loss-of-earnings allowance and travel expenses.

According to Jess, JPs in the UK do not pay out of pocket to serve the Crown, as the state reimburses them for costs incurred while delivering justice.

In jurisdictions like Australia and Canada, the Opposition spokesperson said operational support, specialised training allowances, and localised travel subsidies are utilised. She said this guarantees that JPs are not financially penalised for witnessing documents or processing bail applications.

Noting that the Opposition was not asking for a lavish salary for JPs, Jess said the call was for an enforceable, transparent stipend, modelled after international best practices.

“It is time to treat Jamaica's JPs with the global standard of dignity they deserve. We pay notaries public to notarise documents and judges to hear cases, so why shouldn't we offer our JPs a stipend to cover out-of-pocket expenses?” she questioned.

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